


My Best Friend & Me [Zen]

by marifisco



Series: The Many Paths of Mariko Chung [2]
Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: Child Abuse, Cults, F/M, God Seven, Hospitalization, Kidnapping, My knee still hurts, NANA CHUNG BETTER BE OKAY, Past Relationship(s), Serious Seven, Spoilers, Stressed Mariko, Zen | Hyun Ryu's Route, Zen's route, kaguya is too cute, puppy mommy, rika is fucking insane
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-03
Updated: 2017-11-13
Packaged: 2018-10-27 06:15:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 32,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10803447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/marifisco/pseuds/marifisco
Summary: Hyun Ryu, better known as Zen in his acting career, has shown up in Mariko's life once again after the latter disappeared from view for 5 years. Mariko desperately tries to avoid Zen, thinking that if the actor figured out who she was would cause disaster. She has quite a few secrets that, if discovered, would certainly destroy his reputation. Yet the silver-haired man doesn't seem to care much and tries even harder to gain her affections despite not even knowing her real name. Will Mariko let herself fall for her oldest friend all over again, or will she simply leave him once again?





	1. A Normal Day of Work

Mariko sat back from the monitor, ready to bash her face into the keyboard in front of her. "How in the world did you guys manage to do this much damage?!" The woman hissed. She had been working for three hours straight trying to fix the program that was to be presented to C&R and was quickly running out of time. "I know I sent it over unfinished, but I left you a layout of what was needed to be done!" Mariko glared at the two men in front of her. They shuffled around their weight and looked nervously at her. Mariko threw her hands up over her face. She muffled a scream, her bangs blown to the side by the air that escaped out of the spaces between her fingers. Mariko knew she would have some work to do, but no one could have anticipated having to rewrite basically the whole program. "You two are lucky I keep backups of literally everything, otherwise I would have had to recreate it from scratch." She saved her work over three times and transferred the program to four different devices just in case. "I need to go change and clean up before meeting with the Chairman." The men looked wide eyed at her, surprised. "You really thought I would let you go by yourselves after the catastrophe you almost caused? Hell to the no. Don't. Touch. Anything." Mariko grabbed her bag and went off to the female employees' bathroom. It was well kept despite there only being one other woman who worked in this office. Mariko stood in front of the long mirror, looking at her face. The exhaustion was evident under her large, chocolate brown eyes. Her normally pale skin was flushed from screaming. Her almost black hair was all over the place and her clothes were heavily wrinkled in some places. "Time for some makeup magic it seems..." 

Clothes hit the floor in a flurry as Mariko quickly changed into her office attire. It was not something she was used to as she adjusted the necktie on her black blouse. She checked herself in the mirror once again. She straightened her knee length black pencil skirt and tucked the blouse into the waist. Her frame was extremely small and her outfit showed off all the womanhood she didn't have. Her face was now more put together with wine red lips and neutral eye makeup. She decided that leaving her hair down would be best (especially since she left most of her hair products at the apartment she's staying at). It was brushed neatly and hung down past her thighs. Overall, Mariko was satisfied. She was at least presentable to the Chairman. The programmer was about to leave the bathroom when her phone vibrated on the counter. Putting in the passcode, her phone opened to a text message from 707, whom she had sort of met earlier. "Don't be alarmed, it's just 707!!! I found your number when I um...acquired...your information! I am here to make your dreams come true, meow~" Mariko rolled her eyes. Make her dreams come true. What kind of nonsense was that? Better yet, why did he bother to have her number? This was mostly a work phone. Shaking her head, she texted back. "I don't think the cats would appreciate you trying to grant wishes in their stead." The phone was yet again vibrating before she could put it in her purse. "Meooooowww! That wasn't very nice! >.<" She didn't have much time to reply, so she just placed the phone in her bag and finally exited the bathroom. Thankfully, her coworkers listened to her and did not dare to removed anything from her desk. The clock read 11:34 AM. Taking what she needed, Mariko took a deep breath. It was showtime.

-

The C&R building was absolutely massive. Mariko and her crew were able to set up mere moments before the Chairman and a few other members of the company walked into the room and took their seats. Her job was mainly to man the program itself while the others explained and pitched it to the Chairman. Even though it was a commissioned project, C&R still had to approve of the work in front of them before any more was to be done. As she looked around the room, she recognized two faces from just a few hours before. It took almost all of her self restraint to not smack herself for not realizing earlier. Jumin Han was sitting attentively across from her along with Jaehee Kang, whom she recalled was his assistant. The short-haired woman was making her exit as the presentation started. Mariko tried her best not to speak or look at the corporate heir wrong. It was tough, considering the less experienced peers of hers were not used to business deals such as this. They fumbled over explaining a few of the optional features of the security program, but it was nothing Mariko was going to harp on. The presentation took about half an hour to complete, with about five minutes of private discussion between all of the department heads. Mariko was standing outside of the conference room while these discussions were taking place. Her coworkers were talking amongst themselves. God, she needed a cigarette. It was these moments that she hated the most. The suspense was killing her. Hopefully, in the end, her work to save this deal was enough to convince the Chairman of continuing the deal.Vibration from her purse almost made her jump. 'Again?' Mariko thought with annoyance. This time when she opened up her phone, it was a chat message. 

ZEN: MC! You're here!

This was not what she needed right now. The meeting would be calling them back in any moment.

MC: Kind of. I'm waiting for something right now.  
ZEN: It's not me, is it? *wink*

'Still the same self centered man you've always been.' Mariko thought with a chuckle. It was hard to not flirt back to him, something she had always done, but it would give her away.

MC: No, I'm at work. Today is already stressing me out.  
ZEN: Poor MC~ Maybe seeing my gorgeous face will cheer you up?

Another selfie sent, this time it seemed he was on the train. His hair had gotten longer since when she last saw him. Those red eyes she loved so much were still the same. He never missed the chance to show himself off.

ZEN: I wish Seven would let us see you! I be you're cute behind that screen~  
MC: I'm quite plain actually. Nothing to see here.  
ZEN: Liar, liar~

Mariko rolled her eyes for the hundredth time that day. Before she could argue further with the actor, the meeting was called back into session.

MC: I have to leave. Sorry, Zen! I'll talk to you later.  
ZEN: I have to get back to rehearsal anyways. Make sure to think about me. -wink emoji-  
ZEN has left the chat room  
MC has left the chat room.

The interaction didn't go as terribly as she thought it would. She thanked the heavens that the Chairman called them back before it had gotten more awkward. Mariko sighed in relief as she entered the conference room once again. Long story short, somehow they succeeded in securing the deal. "However, we would like to make a few changes..." The Chairman droned on and on as Mariko jotted down his requests. She couldn't help but feel that she was being watched closely. Mariko shook it off. The meeting would be over soon and then she could finish her work day in peace. Just like that, the Chairman was leaving and the meeting was disbanding. Mariko relaxed a bit in her chair. Her work was not for naught. She started to gather her things and pick up, thanking her stars that the meeting had gone well. Eventually, it was just her and her peers in the room. She shot them a look of approval and gave them a thumbs up. They let out a breath they must have been holding for a while. She gave a grin and handed them her notes.

"Well, let's get to work."

-

It was past sundown when Mariko got out of work. The boss had congratulated all of them and was ecstatic that it seemed to go in their favour. He especially thanked her for her miracle work that she was able to pull off. She smiled to herself as she took the short jaunt to the apartment. It was oddly chilly outside, so Mariko was happy when she finally opened the door and shuffled inside. For an abandoned apartment, it sure was well taken care of and still had utilities which was really weird to Mariko, but she brushed it off. She didn't have to pay for staying here, so she wasn't going to question it too much. The first thing she did was undress and change into a huge comfy t-shirt. Pants? Those are optional! She shoved her clothes in another bag meant for dirty laundry and stretched out. It was late, so take out seemed like it was going to be the best option. After ordering delivery, she decided to call her mother before Kaguya was supposed to be in bed.

"Hello, Mother. Yes, the meeting went fine. We got the deal. They wanted some changes, so I'm working on that...yes, I'm eating fine. Where's Kaguya? Put her on, please." Mariko tapped her fingers to a beat as she waited. The apartment was oddly plain. There were binders everywhere containing some sort of sensitive information. Why was it all stored here, especially if the person who it belonged to was passed away now? The RFA was just a weird organization, it seemed. 

"Mommy! How's the city? Did you see a lot of people? What about the train? Tell me, tell me!" Mariko smiled at her child's enthusiasm. She was always so happy. 

"Kaguya, slow down. I can only answer so many things at once!" She could hear Kaguya whine. "I will tell you that the city is very beautiful. People going all over the place. It's different than home." Mariko sighed. "I wish you could have come, sweetie. I miss you!"

"I miss you too, Mommy. But I had a good day with Nana!! We went and saw a movie and I got to play at the park!" Mariko nodded as if her daughter could see her. "I saw a puppy. It was nice, and the puppy mommy let me pet it. Mommy, can we have a puppy someday?"

"Someday, Kaguya. Maybe when I don't have to leave so much. Now, don't you have to go get a bath?"

"Okaaaay....I love you, Mommy! Do you want to talk to Nana again?"

"I love you too, Kaguya. Please put Nana back on the line." After a moment, her mother picked the phone back up. "Has she been good?...Yeah, that's good. I should get some work done before going to bed myself. Tell Kaguya I said goodnight. Thanks again, Mom. Love you too. 'Night." Mariko hung up the phone. The overwhelming feeling of guilt and sadness came over her, just like every other first night away from her only child. It was unlike anything else Mariko ever felt. Oh well, there was nothing she could do. A knock on the door forced her out of her thoughts. It must have been her food. A few minutes later, Mariko was sitting at the desk and stuffing her face with the greasiest pizza one could consume at that hour. It had been quite a few hours since she had checked in with the RFA. Finishing her meal and washing up, she sat on the bed and punched in the passcode. She snuggled into the bed as she read the previous chats. Most of it was just speculation about her, her job, and what she looked like. Jaehee didn't trust her. 'You trusted me with your boss today, heh.' Mariko joked to herself. Seven was teasing the others about knowing what she looked like, much to Zen and Yoosung's dismay. The day seemed relatively normal to her. She looked at the people currently in the chat. It seemed it was just Yoosung.

MC: Hello, Yoosung.  
Yoosung: MC!! Did you eat?  
MC: Yeah, just did. Pizza is a lifesaver.  
MC: Why are you up so late? Shouldn't you be sleeping so you can get to class?  
Yoosung: There's a rare monster tonight!! I have to get the drop so I can upgrade my gear. I'll be okay!  
MC: It's your funeral.  
Yoosung: Anyway...I wanted to tell you a few things.  
Yoosung: Even though everyone else is suspicious, I wanted to thank you for helping out the RFA. You can't be all bad if you want to help out a fund raiser.  
Yoosung: I think you're a genuinely nice person.  
Yoosung: You've given us something new to talk about at the very least.  
Yoosung: It'll be nice getting to know a new member!! (especially one that's a girl...)  
MC: I'm looking forward to getting to know you too. :)  
Yoosung: I'd like to stay and talk to you more...but the guild master just messaged me. Time to go raid!  
MC: Good luck!! Don't stay up too late!  
Yoosung: -smile emoji- Thanks, MC!  
Yoosung: Laterz  
Yoosung has left the chat room  
ZEN has entered the chat room  
MC: Heya, Zen!  
ZEN: Heya MC  
ZEN: Isn't it pretty late? Can you not sleep because you're thinking too much about me?

There he goes again. 'You're unbearable.' Mariko thought to herself. 

ZEN: I don't blame you. I'm pretty unforgettable. God managed to make the perfect being~

'Stop it.' Quickly pulling up her browser, Mariko searched for a specific picture while Zen kept going on about himself. Once she found the perfect one, she smirked. 'This will derail him a bit...'

MC: Hey, Zen! Look at this! -sends a picture of a basket of kittens-  
ZEN: -surprised emoji- ACK! GET THOSE AWAY FROM ME!  
MC: Oh, but whyyyy? It's just some cute kittens~  
ZEN: My nose is already itching!  
ZEN: d  
ZEN: d  
ZEN: d  
ZEN: d  
ZEN: d  
ZEN: d  
ZEN: d  
MC: What are you doing?  
ZEN: There, it's gone. Are you trying to swell this perfect face, MC?  
MC: Nooo....  
ZEN: Those furballs make me sneeze like there's no tomorrow. Bleh.  
MC: Come on, it's not that awful~  
MC: But I won't do it again, promise.  
ZEN: Good. We can't take this face away from everyone, can we? -wink emoji-  
MC: Whatever you say, Zen. lol  
ZEN: Oh! I have a guest idea for you!  
ZEN: Some novelists came into my rehearsal today. They seemed like a nice group. Why don't we invite them?  
MC: Novelists, ey? Sure, why the heck not?  
ZEN: Okay, I'll tell them to get in touch with you.  
ZEN: You should get to bed, MC. It's not good to be up this late.  
MC: Same goes for you, Mr. Good-looking.  
ZEN: What can I say?  
ZEN: You know, someone else really close to me used to call me that occasionally.

'Oh shit.' Mariko didn't even realized she had used an old nickname. Although, that wasn't enough to give her away, right?

ZEN: Anyway. Get some sleep. Be sure to dream about me.  
MC: You too. Goodnight!  
MC has left the chat room.

Mariko sat her phone on the night stand. 'Hyun, you haven't changed a bit. Good.' She thought. It was midnight, way past when she should have been sleeping. She could barely keep her eyes open anymore. 'Dream of that guy? Not in a million years...' was the last thought Mariko had before drifting off into a peaceful slumber.


	2. God Seven, Defender of Justice!!!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mariko gets woken up by an unwelcome phone call.

"Mariko? It's Hyun. I haven't heard from you lately. Was it the party? We don't have to do that again if you don't want to...Just call me, okay? I-"

-

The phone ringing woke Mariko from her dream. It was still dark and the room didn't make sense. Who the hell was calling her at three in the damn morning? If someone had seen her, surely she would look like she just crawled out of a deep hole. Her eyes had heavy circles and her hair was tangled with her bangs almost sticking straight up off her face. Surely, it wasn't pretty. But what was about to come out of her mouth to whoever had the audacity to wake her was even more foul. Squinting hard at the bright light and loud music, Mariko picked the phone up and accepted the call. After a moment of silence, the woman whispered with the venom of one thousand snakes. "If you're not my mother calling to tell me someone is dead or in the hospital, you're going to be sorry for waking me up. What do you freaking want?" A breath was caught quickly. In her half-woken state, she couldn't tell if it was out of fear or if the person on the other line was trying to hold back laughter. It didn't matter to her at that moment. Mariko just wanted to go back to sleep.

"Beep beep. We've detected unusual activity on your cell phone. Please confirm your identity by saying 'I love God Seven.'" The voice was unfamiliar to her, but by what the man said, she could only assume it was Seven. She had to wonder how he knew she was just waking up, but didn't question the redhead about it. Silence on her end prompted the hacker to speak more. "Hello? Did you hang up?" Mariko wanted to punch Seven through her screen so badly. She figured that she should finally saying something, though it was probably not something he wanted to hear. Sliding out of the bed, she came into the hallway and was heading to the kitchen. "Where are you going?" Seven asked curiously. Mariko turned, noticing the camera in the corner. God, he'd been watching her?! This was not what she wanted to deal with right now. With an absolutely exasperated face, Mariko slowly held up her hand, all fingers down but a certain vulgar one. "You're so meeeeaaaaannn!" Seven cried in a high pitched voice. Mariko's face did not change as she turned an went on her way, still not saying anything. "Did I do something wrong?" As she stepped into the kitchen and started the coffee pot, she sat at the small table.

"You call me, after I worked over twelve -twelve!- hours yesterday, trying to play a joke on me and you didn't realize you did something wrong? Are you always like this?"  
"Yup! Agent 707 has no concept of time!"  
"...you must have called for a reason other than to ask me about my 'suspicious' activity."  
"Why haven't you told Zen?"

The question caught her off guard. What did he mean, exactly? She decided to play it off. "Told Zen what? That he's not as hot as he thinks he is?"

"Funny. I appreciate a girl with a sense of humor." Seven chuckled. "But it's obvious you two have a history. He's still acting like he doesn't know you. Why is that, MC?" Mariko was silent. "I saw the picture of you two when you were younger. You two looked happy." She almost breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn't completed her background check if he didn't even know her real name. With his influences, he would be able to pull up all the records she tried to hide so well. Why hadn't he bothered to check? It was strange to her. It was literally stranger 101! Maybe they didn't teach the kids what they needed to know nowadays.

Mariko started to make a cup of coffee. "Is that really any of your business? He doesn't need to know who I am." She made her way through the hallway once again, this time glaring at the camera. This caused a giggle out of Seven and a 'so cute' to escape his lips. "I'm not cute, shut your mouth. I'm older than you, so respect your elders." As she slipped on her shoes and grabbed her coat, she turned and looked at the camera again for a moment before going outside. She leaned on the balcony and quietly lit a cigarette. It was the perfect start to her morning, caffeine and nicotine. "This can't be why you called, is it? You would already know my life's story if you actually did the background check you were supposed to do." At that comment, Seven gasped and laughed.

"Ohoho! You saw right through me, didn't you? I knew you couldn't just be a pretty face!" The hacker's voice suddenly became serious. "If you figure out too much, I may not be able to protect you for long." Mariko rolled her eyes. Of course he was just playing another joke on her, right? "I gave your numbers to all the other members too..." Seven said sheepishly. Mariko could have killed him had he been right in front of her. All of them? That meant... "Ya, I gave it to Zen too...whoopsie!" Did she really need her blood pressure raised this high? Not even her cigarette was helping to calm her down. He was too lazy to check out her records, but he had the gall to give out her number out to everyone?! "Hey, at least I gave you a day to get used to everything before giving it to them!" Seven read her mind easily. Mariko wondered if there was another camera around, but was too angry to care. Why did her life have to contain so much stress? Between her job and her mother and now these guys? She could see healthy strands of her hair flying in the wind. Gone, just like her sanity over the past day. It was heartbreaking...to Mariko at least. She wasn't the type to drink (or rather not anymore), but these next two weeks might make her buy some of the local brew. She was old enough! 

Putting out her "cancer stick" as her mother would call them, she turned around and sat on the railing. It was still dark outside, but the street lights below lit everything up. She never realized how pretty the city was at night. She was still on the phone with Seven. "Look...the bottom line is don't tell Zen that he may know me. It's better if he thought I was off in some other country or dead or whatever the hell people told him. I'm not a part of his past that should be brought up." Mariko whispered, her voice sounding resigned. It was like a mantra she had been telling herself over and over again. Even the out-right bizarre 707 could not argue with her. Thankfully he knew when it was time to be serious and when it was time to joke around. She heard a chair creak, a familiar sound of her own after leaning back. The rustle of a bag and subsequent crunching and chewing told her exactly what he was doing. "Are you eating while on the phone? How rude."

The chewing stopped abruptly. "Don't tell me how to live my life, MC. Hmph." Mariko laughed at him. Him acting this way reminded her of Kaguya. The girl would say almost the exact same thing to her in almost the same voice. It was odd hearing it out of a "grown" man. "Anyway. I have to get back to work. I'm sorry I woke you up." Seven said apologetically. Mariko shook her head. She knew Seven was going to be a character. Maybe in another universe, they would have more in common to talk about. But this wasn't the situation to consider parallel universes. "By the way, cute little girl. Wonder who she is..." With that, Seven hung up the phone, leaving Mariko unnerved. She should have known that he saw all of her pictures. They were too precious to her to take off her phone and put on a different device. It was when she was apart from Kaguya that she needed them most. With a shiver, Mariko decided it was time to go back inside. Her coffee was gone anyways.

She entered the passcode and entered the building. The camera buzzed and clicked. "Seven. Knock it off." Mariko said sternly. She could just barely hear his laugh in her head. She walked slowly down the hallway and to "her" room. She waved goodbye to the camera before shutting the door behind her. How was it only twenty after 3? She sat on the bed and messed around with her phone for a bit before bringing up the chat room. It was empty, of course. The only two people who would be up at this hour would be Yoosung and Seven, and she already talked to the latter. Before she could put the phone on the desk and grab her laptop, it vibrated and chimed at her. It was a late text message, as the time stamp stated it was sent at 12:54AM. Who was it from? Why, none other than the man of the hour...Zen!

"Seven gave me your number. I couldn't stop thinking about you. I don't know why, but you just brought some life back into the RFA. I know you're sleeping right now, but have sweet dreams, MC." Hyun was always the romantic type. Sometimes it was over the top, but a lot of times it was subtle and sweet like that text. Mariko knew him well enough to know that he already cared about MC. But would that all change if he found out her real name? What would he do when he found out that the girl that broke his heart five years ago was running the show? She would have hell to pay for sure. Hopefully, she wouldn't have to attend whatever the heck this party was. The important matter at hand, though, was how to respond to Hyun's text. She would have to think carefully. She already slipped up earlier with an old nickname. She couldn't do that again.

"My sweet dreams were interrupted by Seven calling me for nothing. Thanks for the sentiment, though." Send. It shouldn't wake him up. He slept like a rock and Mariko doubted that would change any time soon. Leaning back in her chair, she sighed. She had to be to work by seven, so what could she do to kill the time until then? "I suppose I could get ahead on work so I don't have to stay so late today...." The woman yawned loudly. This week was shaping up to be...interesting, to say the least. Maybe she could pull this all off after all...


	3. The Party is When?!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The party date has finally been set! But Mariko has a feeling of something strange.

Vibrations running through the desk made Mariko snap back to reality (unfortunately, gravity stayed in place). A chat room notification came across her screen. "V has entered the chat room." It read like a jolt to her brain. As she recalled, he was the elusive leader of the RFA. The one with all the answers. Checking the time, she nodded to herself. Plenty of time to ask all the questions she wanted, fate permitting. Mariko quickly logged into the RFA server and low and behold, V had already been sending messages. That changed when she entered the room.

V: I see no one is here, so I'll try to be quick.  
V: MC seems to be adjusting well, which I am thankful for.  
V: I'm glad Jumin was able to take care of everything after my departure yesterday.  
V: I know I haven't been around, and I'm so sorry, especially with a new member.  
MC has entered the chat room.  
V: Hello, MC.  
MC: Hello, V! I'm glad I caught you before you left again. It's very early.  
V: Yes, I had an early trip. I may not have service where I am going, so I wanted to establish a few things while I had time.  
MC: I...see. So you won't be staying long?  
V: I'm sorry, but I can't.  
V: There is one important announcement I need to make.  
V: I have the party date set.  
MC: Oh! That would be good to know. The other members said it normally takes six months to prepare for.  
V: That's...not exactly what's going to happen this time.  
V: Due to some special circumstances, I think it is best to have the party next Saturday.

Mariko stared at her screen for a moment. Of course it had to be that day! It would be the day she was returning home, just in time for a very special birthday. 

MC: S...Saturday? I won't be in the area that day. Are you sure?  
V: It has to be that day. I'm sorry, MC...but we need you there.  
MC: I'm not that important. Surely, you guys can make do without me.  
V: I think the guests would be very disappointed if the person that they connected with didn't attend their own party by choice. It would look bad on the RFA too...  
V: But I understand if it's difficult for you. You were forced to join. We can make some accommodations.  
MC: ....Fine, I'll attend. Guilt master has made me surrender.  
V: I'm glad to hear it. I hope we didn't get in the way of any other obligations.  
MC: Ah n-no! It's nothing that won't be a surprise, anyways.  
V: Thank you, MC. I really appreciate it.  
V: I'm about to lose service. Please take care of the RFA for me while I'm away.  
V has left the chat room.

The woman sighed. Kaguya certainly would not be happy. Why couldn't she just say no? Mariko stood up from her desk, leaving her phone on the desk. She just had enough time to shower and dress for work. Good thing the lovely Seven had woken her up earlier less she be a slob in her new office. She didn't know if she should expect C&R employees to drop by unexpectedly. She hadn't been this on edge since her days as "jasminenine." Of course, now she used her coding knowledge for more...legitimate practices. She turned the shower off. Now was not the time to regret what she had done in the past. There was nothing she could do about it. Mariko shook her head to clear her thoughts. It was not like her to reminisce about her past. She had some important business to attend to anyways. Wrapping a towel tightly around her, she exited the bathroom. She glared at the camera just in case Seven had been watching. From the silence, it seemed that the boy had been preoccupied with something else. She was able to slip into the bedroom and begin getting dressed. Her phone vibrated again. She had forgotten to sign out of the chat. She sat in the chair, reading the chat.

Jumin Han has entered the chat room.  
Jumin Han: ...I just missed him.  
Jumin Han: MC, I hope you are ready for the task.  
Jaehee Kang has entered the chat room.  
Jaehee Kang: Mr. Han, you have a meeting with Mr. Chairman before you take your trip today.  
Jumin Han: It wasn't scheduled yesterday. Can it be postponed to when I return?  
Jaehee Kang: Mr. Chairman insisted that you see him today.  
Jaehee Kang: The meeting is at 8am.  
MC: Man, can you two stop talking about work for two seconds? It's too early to be talking about meetings.  
Jumin Han: Assistant Kang is compensated for her work.  
Jaehee Kang: Thank you for the concern, MC. I appreciate it.  
Jaehee Kang: Mr. Han, please come to work as soon as you are able.  
Jaehee Kang has left the chat room.  
MC: Jumin! I hope your trip goes well.  
Jumin Han: Of course it will. Though, I suppose I can take your words as support.  
MC: Er...thanks? I swear sometimes you act like Zen.  
Jumin Han: I think that's an incorrect statement, but I have no time to correct you. I must go to work.  
MC: If you looked a little closer at yourselves, you'd find you're not all that different...  
Jumin Han: I didn't place you as a philosopher, MC.  
Jumin Han: Now if you'll excuse me...  
Jumin Han has left the chat room.  
ZEN has entered the chat room.  
ZEN: Don't compare me and that jerk! -angry emoji-  
MC: You'll get over it.  
ZEN: Only if you say sorry.  
MC: You wish. I'm not apologizing for the truth.  
ZEN: Ouch. If I didn't know any better, I would think you disliked me.  
ZEN: Anyway, I see the party has been set for next Saturday. We'll just have to trust V for now.  
ZEN: I think you're smart enough to get it done. How many guests do we have lined up right now?  
MC: Uh...No one is definitely coming yet, but I am exchanging emails with about 4 different groups. I'm sure everyone will give me different suggestions as the party comes closer.  
MC: Plus, I have my own connections. Most of my work for today is done, so I suppose I could focus on the party...  
ZEN: Don't overwork yourself. I've seen what it does to Jaehee. Knowing Trust Fund Kid, he'll leave that furball with her. Such a jerk!  
MC: At least Elizabeth is cute...  
ZEN: It's not that I don't like cats! They just need to stay away from me.  
MC: You're missing out~  
ZEN: I highly doubt that.   
ZEN: I need to go for a run. It's good to exercise with looks like mine~  
ZEN: Bye, MC. Make sure you don't go overboard with everything.  
ZEN has left the chat room.  
MC has left the chat room.

Mariko rubbed her eyes. So, she had to complete the security program and barter around with various organizations for a charity party all within ten days. Just a normal time in Mariko Chung's life. She pulled her hair up into a neat ponytail. Today shouldn't be as hectic as yesterday, right? Mariko hoped not. She really could not take many more tasks right now. 'I am going to lose my mind by the end of the week, aren't I?' she thought. The sunlight was filtering through the windows, finally prompting Mariko to grab her coat with another sigh. How was it all going to work?  
-

"I'm going to go grab lunch. You two want anything?" Mariko asked her co-workers. Under her authority, the security application for C&R was finally running smoothly with the features Chairman Han wanted. The whole team deserved a little treat for a job well done. The younger men surprised Mariko today with their skills. When they shook their heads, Mariko nodded. "Okay, just make sure to take a break. We've made more than enough progress for today already, so go play a game or something. Whatever you kids do these days." With a chuckle, the programmer was out the door of the office and on her way to grab some take out. The day was nice for the time of year and Mariko was happy to be out of the stuffy room that she had been stuck in for hours. The city was relatively busy for lunch hour, which was to be expected for the business district. Now, what did she want to eat...there were so many options. She considered the restaurant an old friend owned, but stopped her thoughts. If he saw her...he would tell Hyun. She knew they were close once, and Hyun wasn't the type of person to turn his back on a friend by choice. Before she could fully commit to a choice, her phone rang. It was the default ring, so it was a number that wasn't saved in her phone. She didn't recognize the number on screen either. "....Hello?" Mariko asked in a weird voice.

"You seemed to have gotten along with everyone." A sinister voice spoke. It was not from anyone in the RFA, nor did it sound like what she thought V's voice would be. It seemed the voice had been filtered slightly so that Mariko wouldn't recognize it. "You won't have to deal with them much longer. Hold on just a bit more..." Mariko was stunned into silence as she listened to the beeps. Slowly, she hung up. What an odd occurrence. Was it that Unknown guy she had interacted with yesterday? It was the only conclusion she could come up with. What the hell did he mean "hold on"? What did he even want? Maybe she should let Seven know...but then again, he probably wouldn't even pay attention to it. She knew his line of work did not allow for much freedom. Regardless, she recorded all of her calls, so she would simply keep the log and see if it's needed later. Knowing her luck, it probably would be. Mariko looked around her just in case someone was watching her. Of course she didn't, but it was an old habit. She brought her hood up over her head. It was times like this where she just wanted to be home and snuggling her little one. She would have to call later tonight just to make sure everything was okay.

After grabbing her American take out, Mariko made her way back to the office. When she returned, her peers looked at her with exhausted eyes. Something was wrong. "What happened?" Mariko looked hard at the pair. They looked at each other and the older one spoke.

"Take a look. And before you start yelling at us, neither one of us touched it. We were at our own desks and just happened to look over..."

Her screen was almost unrecognizable. Various glitches came across the monitor. Mariko sat down and furiously started typing into the console. "What. The. Fucking. Hell." Mariko's voice was enraged. The attack was still in progress when she started. It seemed whoever was on the other side was searching her computer for something very specific and was tearing apart every single file. "Go back to your computers now. I don't know if this guy is looking for something from the company or what." She kept her focus on her monitor, typing in command after command. However, she noticed that the company files were basically left alone. This person was looking for something else? But there was nothing else on the computer. As suddenly as it started, it stopped. Obviously, they didn't find what they wanted. "...They didn't take anything? That's...weird. I'm going to work on upgrading security..." Mariko mumbled, obviously defeated. At least the computer was back the way it was. The person didn't leave a trace either. First a weird phone call, now her work computer...she knew the computer at the apartment was being watched by Seven, so she didn't personally have to worry about it. Regardless, she found herself pulling up Seven's text thread and quickly sending a summary of what happened. "Please look into it, I don't know what the hell happened." Mariko wrote. She knew he was probably sleeping right about now, but it was there for when he woke up. Her boss would probably going to be calling her soon, grilling her about her laziness. He was right, she should have encrypted the computer when she came. She slowly started eating her take out, listening to the radio as she went along the code for the firewall.

"Waiting for the world to start again."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mariko does participate in chats..."off screen", I suppose. I just don't write them all out because I have other media to drive the story forward. 
> 
> Sorry this took so long! I'm considering skipping some days here and there since the beginning is so slow imo...but I don't want to rush into the fluffy stuff.


	4. My Will is Strong

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The hacking incident has left Mariko shaken, but the show must go on.

"They didn't take any of our files? How are you so sure?" Boss' stress was evident in his voice. While she couldn't be sure the hacker didn't make copies, they went through hundreds of files and still didn't seemed satisfied. Mariko was still typing away as her boss was still prying for information about her personal life, even going so far as to mention a stalker. He couldn't believe that the scare was about anything else. It was hard to explain to him that she just had a gut feeling that it wasn't company information that they wanted. None of the other computers were affected, not even at the home office. It was so puzzling, and it was making her brain hurt. She laid her head down on the desk. Could this week be any worse? Boss cleared his throat, making Mariko groan back in response. "Oh knock it off, I'm being serious. You don't have a stalker or anything, do you? It's important for me to know! I need to know what we're up against. You've got quite the history across the world. Maybe you made an enemy or two..."

"Are you for real right now? No, it's not a stalker. This guy was too intelligent for that." Mariko explained. She heard the voice on the other line sigh with exasperation. He was completely fed up with her attitude, it seemed. "Look, just call back later. I'm updating the security so that my computer isn't vulnerable again. I'll figure out why it happened later. See ya." She hung up the phone, sighing. An hour passed and she was finally done with updating the firewall. She had put her phone on silent, deciding that focusing on work was better than trying to explain herself for the hundredth time that no, the company files were not the target. When she looked at the screen, she had 3 different text messages from Seven, saying "CALL ME NOW" and getting more aggressive as the texts went on. She rolled her eyes. He had his ways of knowing, didn't he? Today was a lot of being on the phone, it seemed. Before calling, she checked her other messages. She had a picture of the scenery of wherever Jumin was with no caption. She also had a selfie from Zen. "Just for you, babe. <3" It was a post-run sweaty mess, but Mariko secretly loved it anyway. His hair was almost undone from it's normal ponytail, something that Hyun hated (or used to hate, anyway.) "Nice hair, do it yourself? Go take a shower." She sent back. She was only teasing him, but she knew he would take offence to her comment. As she snickered to herself, she clicked on Seven's contact and started a call. It didn't even get to do a full ring before Seven was practically yelling into the phone.

"MARIKO!" He said in a panicked voice. "I heard that phone call you got not too long ago. What's going on?"  
"I should have expected you to finally do your job. Which phone call are you talking about? The one from that weirdo guy?"  
"Yeah. What do you think he meant?"  
"I have no clue...wait. Why didn't I make that connection before? My computer at work here was taken over for about half an hour, probably right after he called me."  
"So he was looking for RFA information. Why would he look there?"  
"Probably because it was the last place anyone would expect me to keep it. My work is pretty secretive, though it's legitimate. I knew he wasn't after the company."  
"The reason I wanted to call you was to have you check the computer when you get back to Rika's. The security on it should still be good, but I detected a few hits on it. It was probably Unknown."  
"You're oddly serious. Is anything wrong?"  
"...No, I'm fine. Go back to work."

Mariko put the phone back down after the line went dead. She was just not having a good day. She still had to call and break the news to Kaguya and probably make the poor child cry (again). "Why does this always have to happen to me...Ugh, whatever. Hey! I'm going on a smoke break. Don't touch anything." Mariko called out to her coworkers. They both gave a thumbs up as the woman exited a side door of the room and to the outside of the building. She knew she should not have been smoking so much, but all this RFA business really put a jank in her chain. Despite all the trouble it was causing her, Mariko still wanted to help. As she was on her break, she confirmed more guests for the party. "So that's 3 guests down...We should probably have at least 10 different groups if not more..." Mariko whispered to herself. It didn't seem like it would be too difficult, since she was already in contact with plenty of people. The other members were also doing well in bring her guest information, she wasn't worried. What she was worried about, though, was this Unknown threat. Who was he? What did he want? Only time would tell, but would that force Unknown to get more violent? Worse yet, he had her phone number. Her phone was heavily encrypted, but if Seven was able to get past it, then there's a possibility of Unknown getting through. She would have to keep an eye on her files, especially the ones that were stored on the deep web. If those were made public...Mariko shivered. That would never happen.

A droplet of rain fell onto her face as she looked up at the sky. The clouds became dark and ominous. As the rain became heavier, Mariko inhaled slowly. The smell calmed her. After a minute or two of watching the rain and getting soaked, Mariko turned and started to head inside. Her phone buzzed, and she opened up a text from Hyun. "Man, you're hard to please...I'll just have to turn up the charm." She chuckled. Hyun wasn't the type to give up on a girl he liked. Mariko recalled when he literally spent his entire 3rd grade year chasing after the most popular girl in their grade. Mariko was the one to comfort him when he was cut loose by the girl not even a week after his accomplishment. Ah, kids. They were so...fickle. But that was just the nature of growing up, she supposed. She saw it in Kaguya every day. With a smile, Mariko finally returned to her work, the rest of the day continuing without incident.

-

"It would be in your best interests to keep trying with her. There must be something that will make her crack."  
"But I need to focus on-"  
"You'll hurt him if you take her down. Understand?"  
"...Yes, Savior."  
"Good boy. Please get to work."

-

"Yeah, Mom, I'm fine. I just...I just had a rough day." Mariko said in an annoyed voice. Her mother always insisted on making her opinion about Mariko's job known. "I just want to talk to my daughter. I've got some...news I need to tell her. You'll need to keep her for a few extra hours on her birthday. I don't know when I'll be home. It shouldn't be much longer than normal, but I have something else I have to attend to. You think I don't know that? Just put Kaguya on the phone, please." Mariko pinched the bridge of her nose. Speaking with her mother lately was not a pleasure. Hopefully, Kaguya wouldn't take the news too hard. She hated to break the little girl's heart, but she didn't really have a choice. Mariko tapped on the table as she heard shuffling on the other side of the phone. She could recognize Kaguya's footsteps as the child ran towards her grandmother to grab the phone. Mariko's heart sank. Kaguya was always so excited to talk to her, but she just disappointed her daughter time and time again. It just wasn't fair.

"Mommmmmyyyy!!! I miss you!!!" Kaguya said excitedly. Her sweet voice was always a cure-all to Mariko's mood. She really did live for her child.  
"Hi, honey. How are you?"  
"I'm doing good! It rained today, so we stayed inside and did puzzles! It was fun."  
"I'm glad to hear you're having fun with Nana. I uh...I have some bad news, sweetie."  
"...What is it, Mommy?"  
"I have to stay a little later on your birthday. Something came up and I can't get out of it. So I won't be home until that night..."  
"It's...it's okay....I know you have to work." The sadness in the girl's voice cut through Mariko like a hot dagger. She hated doing this. It probably wouldn't be the last time, either.  
"Kaguya...it's okay to tell me how you really feel. I want you to be happy."  
"Then why do you have to work all the time?! Do you not want to spend time with me?" Kaguya sniffled.   
"Honey...don't cry. You know that's not true. I work so that way you have a home. If I didn't have to, I wouldn't. I promise...once I come home I'm staying right with you for a while. Okay?"  
"O-okay..."  
"It's late. Why don't you have a snack and head to bed? I promise tomorrow will be a better day."  
"...I love you, Momma."  
"I love you too. Have sweet dreams and snuggles! Put Nana back on the phone."

More shuffling happened. She could hear Kaguya hiccuping in the background. It hurt with every tiny noise the child made. "Please make sure she gets to sleep okay. She should be good by morning. Yeah...love you too. Goodnight." Mariko sighed as she hung the phone up. It seemed she was doing a lot of that today. "God damn RFA..." she mumbled. She wished she could send out for Kaguya to come to the party with her...but Mariko knew it wasn't a good idea. If Hyun was attending...it wouldn't be good. It was bad enough that all of the cover ups she has been maintaining for 5 years would be coming undone in less than a week and a half, but she could deal with that. She refused to drag Kaguya down with her own faults. She glanced at the clock. It was getting around her dinner time. "I just wanna go to bed." Mariko said to herself. Her heart was heavy after the interaction with Kaguya. As she started to change into her comfy lounge clothes, she got a text message from Hyun. "What do you want now?" Mariko asked her phone, clearly wanting to be left alone. She opened the lock screen, sighing to herself.

"I heard you had a rough day, so I wanted to make sure you were getting enough to eat and getting some rest. We can wait to talk to you tomorrow. Everyone hopes you're okay." She heard her breath catch as she read the text. When he said he was going to turn up the charm, he wasn't kidding. He still knew when she needed those words the most, even if he didn't realize who she was. "I'm okay...I'm just going to go to bed early. Don't bother me. (But thank you guys. <3)" She tried to joke around with him a bit, but she didn't have the energy to keep up with herself anymore. Her stomach growled loudly, and Mariko grunted in defeat. "Fine. The fridge probably has some leftovers..." 

And that it did.

"So...many...slices..." Mariko whined. Her stomach felt as if it were about to burst with pizza guts. She washed her plate and hands, looking out the window that was part of the kitchen. The city was all lit up finally. It was one of her favourite times of the day. She stepped outside onto the balcony. Usually, she would just appreciate the city by herself, but tonight she felt like sharing. She snapped a photo of the city lights, making sure to keep her hand steady. Before she could stop herself, Mariko opened up the text thread that she had with Hyun and sent the photo. "This is my favourite time of the day...it's too beautiful outside." She captioned the photo. It wasn't long before Hyun responded with his own picture of the city, with him front and center of course. It seemed he was out and about, whether drinking or shopping Mariko didn't know. "I know...it's almost as gorgeous than me." Hyun texted. Another text came in before she could respond. "Now, get to bed. Sleep all those negative feelings away. I hope we meet in our dreams tonight..." Such a romantic. Mariko chuckled, nodding to her phone as if Hyun could see her. This was a slippery slope she was traveling. She needed to be avoiding him, not stroking his ego. The night air was chilling her bones, so she went back inside. After fully getting around for bed, Mariko went to the bedroom and flopped down face first onto the pillow. It wasn't long before the tired woman was snoring away, peace finally finding her troubled mind.

...but what a strange dream she started to have...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's probably not how hacking works...good thing this is a work of fiction.


	5. My Past, My Future

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A strange dream...what does it mean?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story now updates on Sundays!

A warm feeling suddenly washed over Mariko. She didn't want to open her eyes for some reason. She was standing but she didn't know why exactly. "Mariiiii~" A tiny voice called. It was a voice she had not heard in a long time and even now it was fuzzy. As she slowly opened her eyelids, Mariko took in the dark surroundings. There was nothing around her whatsoever. The only light was coming from a girl standing in front of her. The familiar brown hair and eyes staring back at her gave her a jolt. Her younger self was looking directly at her. "Come on or we're gonna miss it!" The girl said excitedly. The child quickly stepped towards her and grabbed her hand. They started to go forward, Mariko dumbfounded at what was going on. Her body wouldn't let her resist the pull of young Mariko. The pair wandered through the dark for what seemed like a long time before the two saw a gleam in the distance. The girl let go of her and ran into it, disappearing just as swiftly as she appeared. An unknown force made Mariko curiously poke her head through the veil of light. What she saw made her step the rest of the way through. The room she entered was not quite right, as is with most dreams, but Mariko knew it in a heartbeat. It was her childhood home which her mother still lived in. With the way the house was arranged, she knew what was coming. Regardless, the child Mariko ran into her parents' bedroom. The hum of an oxygen machine was prominent as was the ragged breathing of an older man. It was a memory Mariko didn't want to remember as often as she did. She watched as the child climbed up onto the bed and the man look at her with a confused look. "Papa!" She giggled as she snuggled into the man's chest. Mariko's father patted her head with a small smile, a feat for him at the time. Mariko turned away from them, knowing what was going to happen next. A cough and a wheeze met her ears with sorrow coming from Mariko's heart. A shaky voice called out to her, which made her look back at them.

"Ma...riko?" Her father's voice was very hoarse and weak. He was looking right at her, not at the child version of her. She waved as she wasn't sure what else to do. This dream wasn't going quite like the others she had of this memory. The man was moments from death, but he seemed determined to hang on just a little longer to speak with her. "Mariko..." Her father said with another wheeze. Mariko approached the bedside, her child self making room for her sit down. He placed a hand on hers lightly. "Listen to a dying man for just a moment." After a coughing fit, he continued. "Don't let that little girl grow up without her daddy. I would have given anything to watch you grow up..." His voice was suddenly stern. Mariko was stunned. What was this? "Give him...that same chance, Mariko." Before she could tell her father anything, his chest stopped its rise and fall motions. The memory went on as normal. Child Mariko started sobbing, her mother came into the room. Her mother's tears were all over her face. What seemed like years passed and Mariko was alone once again in the dark. She thought about what had just happened. Did she...did she feel guilty? She didn't have long to ponder before her child self popped up in front of her again, whispering something that Mariko couldn't understand at first. The girl seemed to stop for a moment before suddenly being in Mariko's face. With a yelp and a jump, Mariko stepped back.

"Guilty! Guilty! What mother doesn't let a child know their father?" The child was snickering at her. It seemed the child had made multiple copies of herself. They circled around Mariko, inching closer to her while whispering her deepest fears. "She's going to haaaaate you once she finds out what you did...your father is turning over in his grave!" They continued their verbal assault until they piled over Mariko, with the latter trying to fight them off. There were just too many of them to fight off. Mariko couldn't find her strength anymore. Just as quickly as they appeared, the tiny child army left, leaving Mariko once again in her childhood home. She was in one of the closets. She felt..tinier than normal. She could not control her actions, and she could hear a whimpering coming from whoever eyes she was seeing from. Her mother was yelling at someone in Japanese, which Mariko hadn't heard from her in a long time. Something was wrong as the fear set in. What was going on? The yelling ceased. Footsteps were heard, hurried and loud. With a sudden realization, Mariko realized she was seeing through Kaguya's eyes. The footsteps came closer and closer to the door. 'No, no...you're not taking my baby!' Mariko thought, but she couldn't do a thing. The footsteps stopped in front of the door. 

"Gotcha." A voice she didn't recognize said menacingly. The door opened, but Mariko suddenly couldn't see what was going on. She still couldn't move and she couldn't speak. Every instinct was yelling at her to save Kaguya. Her worst fears were being realized right in front of her, but why won't her body let her do her job?! The noises she heard were now muffled. She didn't understand what was being said. Mariko pleaded with her body to let her wake up. She needed to wake up, her child was being kidnapped! Where was her mother? Mariko's only action was to idly stand by while her daughter was man handled by some stranger. There was an odd sound coming from above her, something Mariko had heard but her mind wouldn't place it. Was it...her? It became louder and louder until Mariko thought her ears would burst! Mariko covered her ears and started to scream, which seemed to be the key. She suddenly shot up in the bed, panting and sweating. The room was dark, so she knew it was the middle of the night. The adrenaline was still rushing through her. Her eyes frantically scanned the room. They were blinded by tears as Mariko put her head back down. 'It was just a dream...just...a dream...' Mariko thought as she tried to calm herself down. She curled up in the bed. Deep down, she knew Kaguya was fine, probably fast asleep in her bed. It took all of her remaining self-restraint to not pick up the phone and wake her mother up. It was best if she went back to sleep...if that was even possible at this point. Mariko wiped her face from the water works she just experienced. She tossed and turned in bed, wondering what the nightmare meant. She decided to push it to the back of her mind for now. Maybe it would be best for the time being...Mariko closed her eyes again. "What a terrible dream..."


	6. Smile for the Camera

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone is watching.

The morning was, thankfully, uneventful for Mariko at least. The RFA members were respectful of her choice to be left alone, though she could tell that they were concerned about her. Seven kept tabs with her throughout the morning, working himself even harder than normal to figure out just what was up. Mariko decided not to mention her nightmare, chocking it up to her nerves going wild over the previous day. It was probably better this way. It had her thinking a lot about the choices she has made over the last five years. She was a firm believer in no regrets, but her father's words were still playing over and over in her mind. It made focusing on her tedious office work that much more...well, tedious! Mariko groaned and leaned back in her chair. She was supposed to send Boss a formal report of the attempted hack, but there wasn't much to tell him. Her co-workers gave her sympathetic looks while they cleaned up the interface of their commission for C&R. Mariko, on the other hand, sipped her coffee aggressively and practically shoved the keys into the keyboard as she typed. Other than the noises she was making, the office was oddly silent. Mariko was enjoying it until the office phone rang. It startled all three of them. The number was public, but only clients or Boss tended to call the office directly. Mariko didn't recognize the number as the Boss', so she picked up with the most polite tone she could muster. "Song Development, Mariko Chung speaking. How may I help you?"

There was a pause before the other person spoke. It was a woman, but not one that she recognized. "Hello! I'm Chairman Han's secretary. He wanted to know how things were progressing over on your end." Mariko held back another groan. It was one of the last things on her mind considering everything that had happened. It was also strange for a client to be so persistent, but that was none of Mariko's business. She continued to act politely. This was an important client, after all.

"Everything is going great! We're just cleaning up a few things and the program should be ready in the next few days. I can send over a detailed log should the Chairman wish. Is that all, ma'am?"

"Ah, a log would make my job easier...but I'm afraid I'm going to have to send you a new list of the Chairman's desires. He was quite impressed by your company's abilities!"

"I...I see. I left my fax number with the Chairman, so that shouldn't be an issue. He'll have to give us a bit of extra time."

"He's made it perfectly clear that he is willing to give you extra time and compensation. Thank you so much!"

"Thank you. Please give my regards to the Chairman and have a good day. Goodbye." Mariko hung up the phone. Her teammates looked at her questioningly. "We're going to be faxed even more requests from the Chairman. Be sure to implement them. I'm going to go die at my desk." On days like this, she was thankful her skills covered her ass from being fired. No one was really all that happy, but work was work and it had to be done. Mariko picked her phone up off of her desk and stepped outside for her break. She decided to check the chatroom just in case anyone was there. It was Yoosung and Zen, discussing something about Zen possibly getting a role soon.

MC has entered the chatroom.  
ZEN: MC! Some agents came to see my performance today!  
MC: That's great. I hope you get it. :)  
Yoosung★: I bet Jaehee will be happy to hear it. She's your superfan!  
ZEN: No, she just cares about me because I'm part of the RFA.  
Yoosung★: Not true!  
MC: I think she's made it pretty obvious that she loves your work, Zen. Take a compliment that isn't about your looks for once.  
ZEN: Ouch.  
Yoosung★: She's right, Zen! You always say you want to be seen for your talent...  
Yoosung★: Oh, the bell is ringing. I have to get to class. See ya, MC!  
Yoosung★ has left the chatroom.  
ZEN: I hope I can gain you as a new fan soon, MC.  
MC: Good luck with that. I'm not into musicals. I don't have time.  
ZEN: That'll just give me a new goal. No one can resist my perfection for long. ;)  
MC: ...Anyway, my break is over. I really hope you get the role! I bet you'll be great.  
MC: See ya!  
MC has left the chatroom.

Talk about awkward central. Mariko just didn't have the energy to keep up with all of that. It was great that Hyun was getting work, but she did feel bad about lying to him. In fact, she kept up with his career quite often, along with other actors. Cinema and performance shows were a hobby for her. Mariko sighed and held her phone close to her chest, looking around at the city. It seemed fairly busy for a Friday morning. She decided to watch the people below for a little while, just to pass some time. She pulled out her phone and started up the camera (she really loved the look of the city!), but something seemed...off. In some of the photos, there seemed to be someone with a camera...pointing back up at her. Mariko looked around the area where the cameraman was, but alas, he slipped away. From the photos she accidentally took, he had a rather plain appearance. Dark hair with a navy baseball cap, a dark hoodie, some jeans. His face was hidden behind the camera. He did, however, have a strange ring. It was silver and in the shape of an eye. The iris of the eye had a green gemstone, possibly malachite or variscite. Calmly, Mariko headed back inside. It was clear now that she was being followed or watched. It was almost impossible at this point to tell who as she had many enemies, but she had a feeling that the ring she caught would help.

She quietly sent the photos over to Seven. 'I'm 95% positive this guy was taking photos of me. Wanna check it out?' Mariko texted, sending three separate photos. Like the day could get any worse. Sighing heavily, she picked up the requests from Chairman Han and got started. She could feel the fear starting to set in her stomach, but she poured her attention into her work and ignored it for a while. What else could she really do? Hopefully Seven would be able to figure it out.

-

Mariko was finally done with work. She made most of the changes the Chairman wanted, but still left some things off to do tomorrow. Her phone had been quiet since she texted Seven. The chat had gone on as normal. She only logged in when no one was there to read. Apparently, the role that Hyun was hoping for was just a modeling agency. "Poor guy." Mariko stated, clearly just as disappointed as he was. However, she did have yet another guest to correspond with. It looked like her night would be filled with responding to RFA related emails. Mariko was still quite peeved at the party date, but she was committed to it now. The woman stood up from her desk and looked out the office windows. It was near sunset. "Beautiful..." she whispered to herself. She grabbed her jacket and started to exit the building after locking the door to their office space. Her co-workers had left hours ago at her request. She had a lot of thinking to do and it was the only chance she was going to have. She had already called Kaguya and her mother and said goodnight. There was nothing left for her to do besides go "home" and take care of herself and the party. She made her way outside of the building. Since Mariko had opted out of renting a car, she was left with the best transportation nature gave her: her own two feet. Good thing she wore sneakers to work nearly everyday.

The air was fairly chilly, but nothing Mariko couldn't handle. She made her way towards Rika's apartment like she did each day. This time in particular, however, she made a few extra turns to figure something out. If someone knew where she worked, they would definitely want to follow her home. Whether to intimidate her, to threaten her, or whatever they wanted to do, Mariko did not care. It was better to be cautious than to find out the hard way. Mariko did a bit of grocery shopping, window shopped, and even just wandered aimlessly for a little while. After about two or three hours, Mariko finally decided to start heading to Rika's apartment. It was a risky move to go alone, but there wasn't anyone around to ask. As she started her walk, she suddenly felt as if she was being watched very closely. She pulled out her phone, unlocked it, and held her thumb over Seven's contact as she approached the door to the apartment. Mariko punched in the passcode, looked around just to see if she could make out anyone, and then proceeded to enter. As soon as the door was shut, she texted Seven again. 'I think someone is outside watching me.'

Her phone vibrated before she could even take a step. 'I'll take care of it.' Seven replied. She felt instantly better, though she wasn't sure how he was going to handle it. She knew not to ask questions. While she was curious about just how far Seven's connections go, it just wasn't her business. Her main area of focus was the party...and she figured she could do that while taking a nice, hot bath to relax her muscles. She headed to the bathroom to do exactly that. It felt nice to shed off her work clothes. Pesky things were always getting in her way to becoming a free woman! The bath was being drawn as she sat in a bathrobe answering emails. A text came through from both Jumin and Hyun. She was curious about what Jumin wanted, so she opened that first.

'I'm sending two bodyguards over to you. They will keep you safe. Please let me know next time if you feel in danger.' Huh. Seven must have told him what was going on. Mariko texted him back quickly.

'I appreciate it, Jumin. I will keep that in mind. I hope your trip went well.' Mariko then focused on Hyun's text.

'I was feeling pretty down after today, but then I realized that I'm still a good actor at the end of the day.' Of course, there was a selfie attached. 'I hope you like these...I can't wait to see your cute face soon.' Mariko rolled her eyes. She was still terrified to face him after all this time, but it was inevitable and she had to make peace with the possible meltdown at the party. For now, he didn't have to know it was her.

'Keep dreaming, pretty boy. You'll be less disappointed that way.' The water was steaming and finally, Mariko was ready to forget her troubles of the day. The warmth enveloped her entirely, making her sigh with content. She really could have spent an eternity in that state. The world, on the other hand, had other plans. She heard a scuffle outside of her front door. She also heard voices yelling, but was not able to make out what was being said. Mariko jolted up, covering herself instinctively until the noises stopped completely. Slowly and quietly, she made her way out of the bath, put the robe back on, and went into the hallway. Nothing was amiss besides a crumpled piece of paper by her door. It was not there before. She approached it and scooped it up, looking around before opening it up. The handwriting was neat, but the crumpling of the paper made it hard to read without a lot of light. Mariko went to the kitchen and smoothed the note out on the table, reading it in full. It was a very short but to the point.

'We want to invite you to everlasting paradise.'

A logo with an eye was visible at the bottom. It was very similar to the ring the man was wearing. So it was indeed a symbol. She had to wonder what they wanted with her. As she recalled, she hadn't encountered this symbol before. She took a photo of the note to save for later and crumpled the note back up. A hard knock at the door made her jump, but a voice called out. "Do not be alarmed, we are Mr. Han's guards. Are you alright, ma'am?" 

"Yes, I'm fine. Thank you."

"We will stay out here for the night. A man approached your door and he did not seem like he had good intentions. We advise you to stay inside until morning." Mariko could hear them leave her front door and caught her breath. That was a scary experience. She thanked her stars that Seven and Jumin had acted quickly. It had seemed they just wanted to drop off this note, but if she had been alone...she shuddered at what might have happened. She turned and left the kitchen, hearing the familiar click and hum of the camera in her hallway. She gave Seven a thumbs up and reentered the bathroom. Her bath was cold now. Mariko frowned. She was really looking forward to relaxing! Oh well. She drained the tub and went to the bedroom to get dressed. She tried to remain calm, but she really was shaken up by the note. "What the hell is everlasting paradise?" she asked aloud to no one in particular. She pulled on a t-shirt and underwear. It was a bit early, but she had eaten while she was out, so it's not like she was skipping a meal. She shut the light off and fell into the bed face down. A muffled scream escaped her. She had been here three days and things were already starting to fall apart around her. "I must be bad luck..." Mariko sighed to herself. She found her way under the covers and snuggled into the pillow. 

A dreamless sleep met her soon after, giving Mariko a much needed rest in an absolutely insane week. The near future would be even crazier.


	7. Flashbacks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A day off means a leisurely trip around the city. Its' buildings hold more memories than Mariko would like to remember.

One week.

One week until the RFA party. One week until part of the lie she had been living for the past five years would crumble. One week until she would probably have to start over again. So, what would be the perfect activity to do in preparation? Taking a stroll through town, of course. Boss had prevented her from working anyways, so it was either this or do nothing. Mariko couldn't sit still for some reason, so she bundled herself up and decided to head out in the early hours. The sun was just starting to break into dawn and there were very few souls walking about. Mariko liked it this way. The less she had to politely (more like passive aggressively) speak to strangers the better. 

The air chilled the skin she had left exposed. As she wandered through a local park, Mariko thought about what had happened in the last few days. There was a weird organization trying to scare her, an old flame she was sort of refusing to talk to, almost losing her data to a hacker and making her boss upset with her...that sounded about normal for her. Her life could never really be turned off. If she recalled correctly, the last time she even had time off of work was when she delivered Kaguya. Even then, she was working from home the next day. 'Maybe I have a slight problem...' Mariko thought to herself. Oh well. It kept Kaguya and her mother comfortable, and that's all she cared about. She was by no means rich, but her mother never had to make those "hard choices" again. Things were definitely tougher once her father had passed, but her mom persevered through it all. Even though their relationship was strained at the moment, Mariko had to admit that the only person she could always rely on was her mother. That woman pulled herself up by her boot straps and worked constantly to keep Mariko happy. That was probably where she got her own work ethic from. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, it seemed.

She was now getting into the businesses. Not many were open this early, but she recognized a few shops from her teenage days. One was a little convenience store that she would always stop in for coffee and a small bag of something to snack on for the day. Hyun would more often than not accompany her. "I'm being your escort! It's the gentlemanly thing to do!" His voice rang through her memory. It was almost painful to remember. It was alien for her. She thought she had buried those feelings long ago. Mariko shook her head. She looked forward and rushed through the alleyway. In her attempt to escape, she stumbled onto yet another memory of Hyun. One that was much older than the convenience store.

The pair couldn't have been much older than ten. It was their last day of elementary school, and they were walking towards the bus stop to get to the train to go home. Of course, being out in public with Hyun was a mixture of people trying to touch Hyun or making fun of him. Mariko wasn't going to stand for either. She was a fierce force to be reckoned with when she was pissed, even at that age. She recalled that Hyun was chattering about some sort of book his mom was trying to make him read, though Mariko wasn't really paying attention. A group of boys slightly older than them were already at the bus stop. Neither of them recognized the boys, nor did they really care to regardless. The two were mostly keeping to themselves until the boys progressively became louder and louder with insults directed at Hyun. It ranged from "freak" to "little rat" to "abomination", the typical stuff they were used to hearing. 

Mariko made some snide remarks about their intelligence which didn't please one of the boys in particular. He huffed a bit and pushed some of his friends out of the way to look at the "bitch" who dared to compare him to that of a mindless cow. Mariko didn't flinch and looked up at the boy. Normally, this was enough for most kids to back off, but not this guy. He picked Mariko up by the neck and started to thrash her about. Mariko, of course, fought back the best she could and told Hyun to go get help from someone. Mariko knew Hyun was a very timid and shy boy then, hence why she did all the fighting. She expected him to run off, but he surprised her by yelling and ramming into the boy's stomach full force, knocking him off balance and making him release Mariko. Even the other boys could see the pure fury in Hyun's eyes as he wailed on Mariko's aggressor. The two scuffled for a minute or two before an adult came and broke them up. Mariko was too stunned to really do much, but the adult made the other boys run off and warned them to leave "the youngins" alone. Hyun had a busted lip, a few bruises, and a black eye forming, but he still had a smile on his face. The other boy looked like he had lost a fight with a bear and had a bewildered look on his face. His arms were covered in scratches from Mariko and he probably had some soreness in his ribs after what Hyun had done. He quickly got up off of the ground and directed his gang in the other direction. If he had a tail, it would be in between his legs. After making sure they were okay, the older adult (an older man who owned a shop nearby) stayed with them until they got on the bus. Mariko and Hyun waved politely to the man as the bus drove away and proceeded to talk about normal kid stuff, but it was that day that Mariko knew that Hyun really was her best friend. They both got into major trouble for fighting, but it was the event that really solidified their bond.

Mariko smiled at the memory and headed down a familiar road. She had traveled it many times after Hyun moved to the city as it lead right to his apartment. She couldn't be sure if he still lived there or not, but she wanted to see it regardless. It would take about twenty or so minutes to reach it on foot, but Mariko had the whole day at her disposal. She knew that Hyun wouldn't be around at that time anyways. He should have been out "keeping his physique in tip-top shape." She rolled her eyes hard and started on the journey she had completed so many times before.

Eventually, she did indeed come to the apartment complex that Hyun resided in. It hadn't changed at all. Her eyes locked in on the exact door that she would enter to get into Hyun's room. She remembered all the times she had been here. All the things they had done together. All the heartbreaks, all the laughs, everything they had shared essentially happened in that apartment. She stood in front of the building and stared for a good two minutes before someone called out. "Ma'am? Are you alright?" Mariko snapped herself out of her bubble and glanced over. It was an old man who was selling some goldfish bread. Mariko's brain screamed that she should know him from somewhere, but that thought was promptly forgotten in favour of actually responding to the question. She nodded and came over, glancing over the bread. Kaguya loved this stuff, but rarely got it. It made Mariko miss her even more.

"How much for two?" 

"3,000 won! But for first time customers, the first two are free!" The man beamed. He quickly put two into a paper wrap and handed them over. Mariko thanked him quietly and started to head towards the businesses again. Her "home" demanded groceries, unfortunately. She turned away from the building and shuffling away as a man with silver hair was returning from his run. He wasn't really paying attention to much, but the woman down the street drew his eye. Something about her reminded him of a past love, but that couldn't be, right? He decided it was best to laugh it off. Besides, he knew it was going to be a good day today. He watched the woman disappear and entered his apartment to get ready for the day. Actors could never rest!

\--

Later that evening, Mariko had finally returned to Rika's home. The groceries had been put away, clothes were stripped and replaced by pajamas, and she had settled down in front of her laptop to video chat with Kaguya and her mother. It was difficult for the older woman to work newer technology, so that's why they only did it every once in a while. Mariko initiated the call, adjusting her wind blown hair just a tad before Kaguya's face popped up on the screen. Her mom looked tired, but Kaguya had tons of energy going. "Mama!" Kaguya exclaimed happily. She waved at Mariko excitedly. Mariko waved back and smiled.

"Hey, baby girl! How was your day?"  
"We went shopping! Gramma got me some new toys for being good! Then when we came home, Gramma made some lunch and the neighbors came over and ate with us. We all played some card games and I colored with Mrs. Ryu! It was really a lot of fun!" Mariko had to hold back her cringe at the name, but she expected it. Hyun's parents were long time friends with hers and they often would spend time together on the weekends. Now that his mother was retired, she spent even more time with her mom and Kaguya.  
"Oh, that sounds like you had a really good day, then! I'm glad to hear it. All I did was shop today."  
"You could've played games if you were here, Mommy!" Kaguya's voice emphasized 'mommy.' Mariko rolled her eyes playfully at her daughter. She knew Kaguya was being serious with her, but it was the only thing she could do to not let her guilt slip onto her face.

The conversation went on for a while, basically until Kaguya had to go to bed. Mariko talked with her mother a bit before getting off the computer. The next day was Sunday, so she had the day off tomorrow as well. She pulled up her text messages to see if anyone had tried to get a hold of her while she had been out or talking to her family. There was only one: from Hyun, of course. Mariko opened it up. It was sort of a wall of text on her phone. Was he drunk? Mariko read it carefully. What surprised her the most was that he was talking about her!

'You know, I've been thinking a lot today. The others already know some of this, but about five years ago someone really important to me just...vanished. That was the last time I dated and I've been scared to open myself up even though I joke about being lonely. But with you...it's so easy to trust you. I really feel at home when I talk to you. Maybe it is loneliness getting to me, but I really really like you. I just have a feeling that things are going to get better with you around. Thanks for not running away at the beginning, MC.'

This wasn't the type of Hyun she was used to. Normally, the only thing he wanted to express was how good looking he was. But it did remind her of the romantic she grew up with. Her heart skipped a few beats as she thought of a reply. 'Mariko, what the hell are you doing?' She thought to herself. However, she was thinking more with her heart than her head.

'Zen...that was really sweet. I'm sorry that I seem like a brat most of the time...I really do it because I like you. But we should be careful...I don't think Jaehee would approve much, lol. Plus, maybe there's just some things that are better left alone...' Mariko held the phone to her chest. All of the old feelings she had abandoned started to bubble over inside her heart. She promised herself that it wouldn't happen, but she could never keep many of her promises. She took a few minutes to calm down and reset her resolve. It was better that she wasn't involved with him. He was better off without her. The thought repeated in her mind a few times, but a tiny voice was starting to gain power. Was he really? He still thought she was important instead of vilifying her...but that was because he didn't realize who he was talking to. Right, that was it...

Only the party would confirm it. Was she ready? Who knows. But Mariko had a new energy to face it head on instead of trying to shy away. She knew Hyun deserved an explanation, and this hardened her nerves. It was time to own up to what she had done.


	8. An Idol and an Actor!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hyun gets a big role with an idol named Echo Girl. While Mariko is happy for him, she's still battling her resurfaced emotions for him. The organization targeting the woman gets a hold of some very sensitive information about Mariko and starts to hatch a plan...

Light filtered through the windows as Mariko finally started to stir. Her head was banging with every beat of her heart. She couldn't remember much of the night before. She could remember talking to Kaguya for a while and getting a text from Hyun, but the rest of her memories were hazy. Her room was a nightmarish mess. Clothes thrown all over the place (all her own, thank god), various papers crumbled up and stuck on the desk, the bed covers were crumpled up beneath her. A distinctive scent hit her as she sat up all the way. As soon as it did, Mariko face palmed. She knew exactly what happened last night. The last time she got drunk...was...Mariko didn't want to think about it. She fell back into the bed hard and groaned. Where did she even get any alcohol? Better yet, why did she feel the need to drown herself in it? 

Mariko had attempted to roll out of the bed and landed hard on the floor. "Ow..." Mariko said. The floor was oddly comfortable, but she forced herself to stand. Glancing in the mirror, she realized there was too much white showing on her body. She pulled out some random clothes to put on. 'Hopefully no one had to see all that...' Mariko said to herself. Her phone vibrated. 'Oh no...what stupid texts did I send?' She padded over to where it was laying and gingerly picked it up. She had a few notifications, all conversation related. Seven, Boss, and Hyun. She opened up Boss' thread first. Typical drunken drivel...a really nice selfie...nothing out of the usual. Seems Boss might have been a bit tipsy as well. Seven's thread included a lot of cat pictures being sent back and forth with a few jokes in between. 'Better than I expected.' She backed out of that conversation and hovered her thumb over Hyun's icon. After taking a deep breath, she opened it up.

It was a slew of romantic banter and...things that couldn't be discussed in a Teen-rated fanfiction. Her face flushed into a deep red at the vulgar things she had sent. Thankfully, she never mentioned who she was. At least drunk Mariko still knew what was important. There was a selfie sent a few hours before captioned, 'Just for you, babe. ;)' A sweat induced, shirt off, fan service-y selfie. It made her already red face even hotter. She thought for a moment before replying, 'Hey...I'm sorry about last night. I must have had one too many. Most of the things I said were true, but I'm not normally that...open.' She covered part of her face with her hand and shook her head. She couldn't believe what she had done, but there was no sense of regretting it. She needed a shower after all that, so off to the bathroom she went.

\--

A few hours pass as Mariko tries to finish up some unrelated projects on her computer. She had been popping in and out of the chat room all day, just seeing how everyone was and making small talk. Yoosung was playing games, Seven was probably sleeping, Jumin and Jaehee were talking about work of course...Hyun hadn't been on yet that day and she still didn't have a reply to her text. 'Must be working today...' Mariko thought as she checked her phone yet again. His name came online and went into the chatroom. With how many times her phone vibrated, he must have been excited about something. Mariko decided to check it out.

MC has entered the chatroom.  
ZEN: Ah, finally got your attention!  
ZEN: I wanted to tell you first, but I got offered a really big role today!  
MC: Did you take it? That's really great!  
ZEN: Yeah, I just got out of a meeting with the director about it.   
ZEN: It's a way bigger production than I normally do, so this is a huge opportunity.  
ZEN: I get to act with a famous celebrity! What was her name again...?  
MC: Oh my. She must not be that famous then, lol.  
ZEN: No, she is. I just don't pay attention to idols often lolol  
ZEN: Echo Girl or something like that?  
MC: I don't know either. I was never really into the idol scene.  
ZEN: Anyways, the script is pretty solid and I'm really excited to be a part of it!  
ZEN: ...the only bad thing about it is the rehearsal is five days from now...  
MC: So the day before the party. That...might pose a problem. Not for the party, but for you. That's not a lot of time.  
ZEN: I'll just have to practice a lot! If I have your support, I can get through anything.  
MC: Well, what kind of friend would I be if I didn't support you?  
ZEN: Well, after last night, are you sure we're just friends?  
MC: Don't make me slap you at the party, pretty boy. Get back to work.  
ZEN: lololol Alright, see ya!  
ZEN has left the chat room.

Mariko put the phone down with the screen touching the desk. So, Hyun was going to become even more popular. A sort of bittersweet feeling welled up in her stomach. She was genuinely happy for him, but she was also sad. She shouldn't have let herself slip into her old connections with the actor. The more popular he is, the more dangerous him getting involved with her again is. It was only a little past noon, but now she understood why she decided to drink heavily the night before. Since it was not good to drink two days in a row, Mariko decided to instead pour herself completely into her work, ignoring the rest of the world almost angrily. Why was she so enraged? She didn't really understand herself. Being angry, while bad for her health, was exactly the tool she needed to burst through all the tedious tasks she had gotten from work (besides the C&R project, of course.) 

It was getting to be early evening when Mariko finally stopped to quiet the roaring of her stomach. She ordered some delivery and quietly scrolled through the chatroom again. She did stumble in on a conversation between Jumin and 707, mostly talking about Hyun's new role.

Jumin Han: ...Anyway, I wanted to use Zen as a model for our new cat food line.  
MC: Woah, what the hell did I miss? You, wanting to involve Zen in your company? For a cat food line, no less. I can already tell you he's going to refuse you hard.  
707: lol ya, what about his allergy?  
Jumin Han: I think it's highly unprofessional to reject a business opportunity over something like that.  
MC: Maybe to you, Mister Workaholic, but not working because of physical conditions is a completely valid reason to pass on it.  
Jumin Han: I just have a business mindset. Don't take it the wrong way.  
Jumin Han: I support Zen's career just as much as everyone here.  
707: in ways he won't like, tho...  
MC: Why not give it some time to settle, Jumin? You two already don't get along, so the more you get after him, the more he'll say no.  
MC: Although, I will have to say I'm a little jealous. Elizabeth the 3rd is a cute cat...  
707: I'll be sure to send you more photos later, MC!!  
Jumin Han: ...?  
MC: Don't ask.  
Jumin Han: Regardless, I will bring it up with Zen later. I want to know his response...  
Jumin Han: I have a meeting to attend, so I'll be taking my leave.  
707: I have to go too. Catch you on the flip side, MC!  
Jumin Han: Goodbye.  
Jumin Han has left the chatroom.  
707 has left the chatroom.  
ZEN has entered the chatroom.  
ZEN: Cat food commercial? lol no way. Never.  
MC: I figured that's what you would say.   
ZEN: He's just trying to mess with me, right?  
Jaehee Kang has entered the chatroom.  
MC: I think he's serious;;;  
Jaehee Kang: Unfortunately, he is.   
MC: I smell more hours for Jaehee~  
ZEN: That jerk! "Not professional enough."   
MC: Jumin just has a different perspective than us. I'm not saying you have to consider it, but it might be a little safer than your other role.  
ZEN: But the opportunity is too big to pass up!  
Jaehee Kang: Congratulations on the new role, Zen. I see you got the lead again.  
ZEN: Thank you!!  
Jaehee Kang: Though, I do have to wonder if it was worth passing up the other role you were going to play...  
ZEN: ...What? It's better for my popularity to be on the same stage as a celebrity.  
Jaehee Kang: While I understand that, I just don't think she's talented enough to act with you. She's a singer, not an actress.  
MC: Well, I mean...it's not impossible for people to have multiple talents, Jaehee.  
ZEN: Yeah, I thought the same, MC. I think anyone can go up on stage as long as they work hard and have some talent.  
Jaehee Kang: Talented actors tend to get overshadowed by the celebrities. I think the production is trying to cash in on Echo Girl's fame rather than quality...  
ZEN: That may be true, but I'm sure it'll be good for me regardless.  
ZEN: When I first spoke to the director about it, all I was thinking about was telling MC about it.  
ZEN: I really wanted her support about it...  
Jaehee Kang: ...Have you two already gotten to that point?  
MC: What's that supposed to mean?  
Jaehee Kang: Nothing. I just wanted to have some sort of clarification...  
Jaehee Kang: I've also supported Zen far longer than you, MC...so it's just strange to me.  
MC: ...  
ZEN: Of course, I wanted everyone's support, Jaehee! I just have a certain feeling about MC is all.  
ZEN: She just feels...different.  
Jaehee Kang: I think you need to meet her in person before making a decision like that.  
ZEN: Thank you for caring so much, Jaehee.  
ZEN: Oh, I have to go practice and work out!   
MC: Good luck. Don't overdo it.  
ZEN: ^^  
Jaehee Kang: Yes, please be careful.  
ZEN: I'll get going, then.  
ZEN has left the chat room.  
Jaehee Kang: MC...I just wanted to say that I know Zen is really...charming and flirtatious. It's easy to be attracted to him.  
Jaehee Kang: But at the end of the day, Zen is an actor who thrives on popularity.   
Jaehee Kang: Getting into a romantic relationship with him will ruin his career.  
Jaehee Kang: Since you haven't been a member very long, I think it's best you just focus on the party...  
MC: ...Hah.  
MC: Trust me when I say I know that more than anyone else.  
Jaehee Kang: ???  
MC: I'm going to leave it at that. I understand the concern, but leave Zen to decide for himself. I'm sure it will have the same outcome you're looking for.  
MC: I have to go. Dinner is here. Have a good night, Jaehee.  
Jaehee Kang: ...Goodbye, MC.  
MC has left the chatroom.

Mariko threw the phone on the bed as she passed it. What the hell does she know? "Supported him longer...hah! I've supported him for almost 23 years!" She grumbled to herself. The knocking on the door became more prominent. She answered the door and had a short conversation with the delivery person, making sure to tip them well. Maybe it wasn't the thing to do, but she was so used to American delivery service that it was habit by now. 

While she was away from her phone, it lit up. The screen was fuzzy and starting to glitch out. A notification came across the screen and quickly disappeared. "File Kaguya accessed." This was all done in about five minutes, and even Mariko was none the wiser when she returned with her food. Everything was perfectly normal. Mariko went on with her night, working on and off before heading to bed for the night.

In a building far outside of the city, a boy sat in front of a gigantic super computer. Up on the screen was Kaguya's photo with Mariko holding on to her. Her birth certificate and location was on another screen. A figure in the background, hidden by shadow, chuckled. "So, that's the secret she was trying to hide...I see. I think you already know what to do, my angel. Begin the preparations for a trip and do come back with the precious cargo in one piece. I won't be happy otherwise. And we all know what happens when I'm not happy, right?" A chill came across the entire room that was so cold that it could freeze hellfire. The boy had a glazed look over his eyes, but slowly nodded.

"...Yes, Savior."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank the gods for transcription sites.


	9. Visit...?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jumin wants Mariko to visit Zen to convince him to be C&R's model, but Mariko refuses to even entertain the thought.

Vrrr. Vrrr. Vrrr.

The vibrations started to permeate the room around her. It began to infiltrate her dream. In her distorted state, Mariko tried to simply ignore it. The scene before her started to change. She was in Hyun's apartment. He didn't notice her presence, but from the way it looked, it was present Hyun. He seemed to be in a good amount of pain and was on the phone. Calling someone?

Vrrrr. Vrrrr. Vrrrr.

The vibrations became louder. She heard him mumbling about how the person "never picks up for me." He hung up and tried again. Mariko was so confused. 'Why am I here? And what is that infernal buzzing noise?' She could feel herself starting to stir. She closed her eyes.

VRRR. VRRR. VRRR.

Mariko finally shot up in her bed. 1:01 in the morning. Her phone was ringing off the hook. Squinting her eyes, she realized it was Hyun indeed. Obviously, she couldn't answer it, but she did text him. 'Hey, I really can't talk right now...what's up?' She immediately got an answer. 

'I think I twisted my ankle or something...'  
'What? Are you alright? What happened?'  
'Trust Fund Kid pissed me off! I must have practiced too hard...I know I'm being pathetic right now...'  
'Don't talk like that. Yeah, it's probably a little embarrassing for you, but just worry about getting to a hospital. Call an ambulance if you have to.'  
'You're always so understanding, MC...I'm just sad I'm going to have to miss rehearsal like this...'  
'You don't know that yet. Just...get better, okay? See what a doctor says. Besides, I know you heal fast, so it shouldn't be too long.'  
'Yeah...I'll text you when I get out this afternoon. Don't worry too much, okay, sweetie?'  
'Okay...I'll be worried anyways, but I'll look forward to your text. Be safe.'

Poor Hyun. He could never really catch a break, could he? Mariko rolled back over. Regardless of her worrying over Hyun, she still had to work in the morning. 'Hyun...I hope you end up okay...you really deserve that role....' Sleep was calling out to her like a sweet song on a summer day. The woman settled into the bed once more. It wasn't long before she was passed out into a black sort of slumber. Only a few more hours would pass before she would have to wake again, but she was going to enjoy her time while she could. It was all she really could do while she waited for news from Hyun. Hopefully, he really would be alright...

\--

Mariko spun around in her chair at work, yelling out a sound of victory. "IT'S DONE!" She screamed at her two teammates. They rejoiced with her, all of them pilling up into a group hug. Tears were streaming down everyone's faces. One of the men put on some firework noises. They all danced a happy dance and were genuinely just happy to finally be finished with the next phase of the C&R project. Without much thought, Mariko dialed Jumin directly.

"Hello, MC. What do you need?"  
"We're finally done!"  
"...Done with what?"  
"The security program!"  
"...How did you know about that?"  
"...Oh. Eh...I'm the lead programmer. I forgot to tell you that..."  
"I see. That's...interesting. I didn't realize that's the type of work you did."  
"Yeah, I've been a programmer for about 6 years now. Anyway! When is everyone available to get together so we can show you what this baby can do?"  
A rare chuckle came across the receiver. "You'll have to call Assistant Kang about that. I'm quite busy at the moment."  
"Oh! I'm sorry. I got too excited when we finished, so I just called you. I can call Jaehee here in a moment."  
"Right. Also, I may need to speak to you later in the chatroom. I'll let you know when."  
"Oh! Okay, cool. Mind telling me about what?"  
"It would be better to just talk later. Since I am finished, I will be hanging up now..."  
"Yup! See ya later, Jumin!"  
"...Goodbye."

 

Mariko clicked away from the call. Jumin wanted to speak with her? That was really strange. Normally, he was on his most polite behaviour towards her. She shrugged to herself and started to call Jaehee to set up a time to present their work. It took a bit to get a hold of her, but eventually the overworked woman picked up. "Good afternoon, MC. Did something happen? You usually don't go out of your way to call me, especially at work." Mariko winced a tad bit. It was true that she did not have the closest relationship with Jaehee, and the night before didn't help. Regardless, this was a business call.

"This is about work. Jumin said I needed to call you about presenting the security program we developed. We just finished it a few minutes ago."  
"O-oh. I see. I didn't realize we had met in person before. My apologies. Mr. Han's schedule is almost filled for the week already, but it seems there is a time slot on Wednesday at 14:00. Are you interested in doing it then?"  
"Totally! We can clean things up while we wait, no big deal."  
"Great, I have you scheduled for it. Thought, while I have you on the phone...I want to apologize for last night. I really am just trying to help both of you."  
"I know, Jaehee. What you said just really hit a nerve of mine. There was no way you could have known, so don't sweat it."  
"Thank you for understanding, MC...er...Mariko. Which do you actually prefer?"  
"If it's out of the chatroom, Mariko is fine. I'd rather keep being called MC in the chat, though. You understand."  
"Yes, of course. Is there anything else I can do for you?"  
"Nope, that's everything! Thanks, Jaehee. Don't work too hard."  
"Heh...that's impossible here. Have a good day."  
"Bye bye!"

It went more smoothly than Mariko had anticipated. She hadn't expected Jaehee to apologize like that. In her mind, it should have been her apologizing for snapping. Mariko sat at her desk and sighed happily. She figured she should try to get ahead on some things while she waited to hear back from Hyun. He should be getting released soon, right? She thought back to her dream. Was she watching him while he was trying to call her? That was really odd, even for her. "Psychic dreams are so weird..." Mariko mumbled to herself. A few minutes pass as she worked on smaller tasks when her phone went off again. A text message. She instinctively knew it was Hyun. 

It was a photo. It seemed he had to get a cast. 'A cast and crutches...Guess I won't be able to play that role anymore...' Her heart sunk a little, but a sort of relief also came over her. She was such a lousy friend for feeling this way!

'Aww, I'm sorry. I'm sure Echo Girl and your director will understand. Just focus on getting better, okay?'  
Another photo, this time a picture of him with a pack of Black Angel cigarettes. So he did still smoke. Mariko herself quit once she found out she was pregnant with Kaguya, but had recently started back up because of stress. 'I should probably not smoke one...'  
'You're right. You don't need those to make you feel better. It's not easy to quit, but you should at least try.'  
'So you used to, too?'  
'I didn't say that. This is about you, not me. Why don't you get some rest when you get home?'  
'Yeah, I probably should. Though, I would love it if you came to visit too...'  
'I'm at work. Sorry, but it's just not a good idea for us to meet right now.'  
'You're right. Maybe it's just a wish, but if it is ever safe, I'd love to meet you and see what you look like.'  
'You're not missing anything. You don't need some girl messing shit up for you anyways. Just relax, get home, figure some stuff out. I have to go back to work.'  
'I'm almost home anyways. I'll catch you later, babe~'

Mariko shook her head. "Damn boy is gonna be the death of me I swear..." She continued to work until it was time to clock out (around 5PM) and started her walk home. The chat was all about Hyun. Seven and Yoosung seemed to think it was a good idea for her to go, Jaehee and Jumin were arguing about her going to visit (with Jumin in favour of her going) and just general stuff. Seven and Jumin sent her potential party guests. She would have to thank them later. She worked on replying to emails for the party. She had at least a dozen confirmed guests by now, probably closer to twenty guests actually. Mariko was actually quite proud of herself. Dealing with people was definitely not her forte but she was managing to pull it off! As long as everyone else dealt with the actual setup, the party would probably be a success. She would probably have to shop around for the right attire. While Mariko was lost in her own brain, a young woman ran into her. It nearly knocked her over and the woman was quick to catch her.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! I really need to pay better attention...are you alright?" Her green eyes were genuinely concerned, but something else was...off about them. Most of her other features were hidden by a large hat and a trench coat. Mariko could see pale hair that was pulled up, but beyond this, she couldn't make out anything else about the woman. Her alarm bells started to ring, but she couldn't see why. The woman was just suspicious in general. Why was she still holding on to Mariko? A minute had to have passed by now, with Mariko just staring wide-eyed. Slowly, Mariko unraveled herself out of the woman's grip. The only thing she could manage was nodding. The woman smiled and pulled her sunglasses back up over her eyes. "I'm glad to hear. I seem to have shook you up a bit..." Mariko was still silent. "Ah, not the type to talk much, are you? That's okay. I'll just be on my way." Mariko turned and began to walk away. She got about twenty or so feet away before the woman called out again. "Ma'am! You dropped your phone! It doesn't seem damaged, thankfully." The woman came back over and handed it to Mariko, touching her hand lightly. It sent a jolt of shock through her (figuratively, of course). The woman's touch was ice cold! Mariko nodded her thanks and placed her phone in her pocket. She waved goodbye to the woman and hurried home. She was completely freaked out by her for some reason. She slammed the door shut behind her and leaned against it, catching her breath. Her phone lit up. It was Seven, trying to make sure she was okay.

'It looks like you were running for your life. You alright?'  
'Yeah...just met some weird woman who freaked me out. I think I'll be okay if I just stay in tonight.'  
'Alrighty. Text me if ya need anything, lololol'

Mariko decided that maybe some dinner and a movie was in order. She went deeper into the apartment to do just that. In the meantime, her phone was put on a stand near the front door. The screen glitched out a few times. A tracker had finished installing deep into her phone, one that she wouldn't notice despite her knowledge of computers, hacking, and other related fields. Mariko went on with her night, trying to forget the image of that stranger. It was hard. Who was she? Was it deliberate? No, that was just her being paranoid. These were just intrusive thoughts, right? They clouded her mind to the point where she couldn't enjoy the movie, really. "Why can't I ever just relax?" Mariko asked herself. It was around 8PM when her phone started to ring. It sounded like Jumin's ringtone that she had set. She scrambled out of her room to answer the phone. "Hello?" she answered. Her voice was a bit cheery, trying to change her mood forcibly. Jumin only said a few words. "Please come to the chatroom now." After this, he immediately hung up. Mariko couldn't even formulate a response. 'What a jerk, that guy...' She did end up complying, but not because he wanted her too!...okay, maybe a little bit, but she was her own woman who made her own choices! She went back into the bedroom and sat in the office chair, spinning it around as she waited to be logged in.

MC has entered the chatroom.  
Jumin Han: Good to see you.  
Jumin Han: Reading back, it seems you are the subject of many conversations.  
MC: It seems like everyone is talking more about Zen than me.  
Jumin Han: True, but...  
Jumin Han: I am quite tired of Assistant Kang acting sensitive over the potential relationship between you and Zen.  
Jumin Han: She should be more focused on her own career. Zen is an adult and can make his own decisions.  
MC: I'm sure she's just worried about his reputation being ruined. I can understand.  
Jumin Han: I'm glad to hear that.  
Jumin Han: While I do think she is overreacting over being suspicious of you after V said you were alright, sometimes it's not wise to let your guard down before you are completely sure. I'm happy to hear you don't hold a grudge.  
Jumin Han: For example, the only things that I trust are cats, cash...and family, relatively speaking.  
Jumin Han: Though, my father does stretch that trust...  
MC: Why do you say that?  
Jumin Han: I like my father as a business man, but his treatment of women is...less than acceptable in my opinion.  
Jumin Han: He always attracts the same type of women with his playboy attitude.  
MC: I see...  
MC: At least your father is still around, though.  
Jumin Han: It seems I have offended you.  
MC: No, I get it. I'm sure there would be things about my own dad that I would dislike if he were alive.  
MC: Our fathers are both human, after all. They have their own sort of flaws. I just never got to know mine.  
Jumin Han: I'm sorry for your loss.  
MC: Don't be. That was years ago.  
Jumin Han: It puts things into perspective, however. I suggest that Zen should take that advice.  
Jumin Han: Now that he is, in fact, an adult, I think he should try to repair his relationship with them.  
MC: It's...not that easy. Though I'm sure at least one of his parents wants to...they don't seem like the type of people who go back on their choices.  
Jumin Han: Relationships are all about compromise. Zen should stop running away and at least try.  
Jumin Han: It may seem like I'm butting into his personal life, but I am trying to speak on his best interests for once.  
MC: I get where you're coming from, but we can't say for sure that it would be best until we know both sides of the story...which we probably won't, of course, so...  
MC: Anyways! What did you need to talk to me about?  
Jumin Han: Since Zen doesn't currently have a role to work on, I think it would be a good idea for him to reconsider my offer.  
MC: About the cat food commercial?  
Jumin Han: Yes...and I think you're the best person to do that.  
MC: I mean...I can mention it to him maybe? I doubt he'll listen to me.  
Jumin Han: Well, he did say he wanted to see you...I think I can make a deal on that.  
MC: Absolutely not. I thought Jaehee wanted to go?  
Jumin Han: I need her in the office. Besides, he wants to see you, not her.  
MC: I have to work tomorrow. Can't it please be Jaehee that goes?  
Jumin Han: Didn't you say earlier you were finished?  
MC: ...Yes, but I have other things to work on...  
Jumin Han: I can have things arranged for you to be compensated if that's what you're worried about. I thought you and Zen were becoming serious?  
MC: I...can't say. It may seem bitchy for me to say this, but it's really really REALLY not a good idea. For me or for him. I don't want to go.  
MC: Can you find someone else?  
Jumin Han: Just think about it.  
Jumin Han: I have to go home, so I'll be leaving the chat room soon.  
Jumin Han: Please consider my offer seriously.  
MC: I have enough to deal with. Please, send Jaehee.  
Jumin Han: I'll ask again tomorrow.  
Jumin Han: I'm going to get going, then. Goodnight, MC.  
MC: Goodnight!  
Jumin Han has left the chatroom.  
MC has left the chatroom.

That came out of no where. Was he serious?! No, he couldn't be! Mariko could only put the phone down and place her face in her hands. He would keep asking until she said yes, that she already knew. That or he'll pull some stunt and make her go. "This is a fucking disaster." Mariko hissed. And surely, Hyun was going to be hurt by her words and Jumin bringing up his family like that. Mariko wanted to set Jumin straight about everything, but it would give her away. She wanted to pull her hair out. She refused to bow to Jumin's demands. She couldn't! She wouldn't! ...but god, did she want to. She wanted to tell him everything. She wanted that bond with him again. But it would ruin him. If his reputation would be ruined, it wasn't worth it. It was better to just reject her feelings and move on. Why were feelings so hard? She found herself calling her mother to have a conversation she had been meaning to have for a long time.

The phone rang twice before her mother picked up.

"Mom...I think I'm going to have to meet Hyun tomorrow..."


	10. Mariko & Hyun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two souls finally reunite.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IT'S FINALLY HERE. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
> 
> Long chapter ahead!

The thump of the music reverberated through her body as she walked around Hyun's apartment. There were quite a few people crowded into the tiny space, but all were having a good time. Some were dancing, others were chit chatting...but she didn't care about any of this. No, her goal was the man of the hour. His charisma was evident even from across the room. He must have been singing along to the music because the women around him were completely enthralled by his voice. Rolling her eyes in a signature fashion, she made her way over to him in time to catch the end of his mini performance. Many applauded him, her included. His eyes lit up when he saw her, motioning her over quickly. "Mariko! You made it!" Hyun exclaimed, pulling Mariko into a hug. She gave him a smirk and returned the hug. The women surrounding him must have gotten the message because they started to trail off disappointed. Mariko barely even noticed.

"Of course I did, bonehead. Why would I miss celebrating your big break?" Mariko chuckled. Hyun had gained a lot of popularity with his last production. He simply beamed at her and laughed. The pair got a drink and started to dance with one another. She was told later by some mutual friends that they brought life into the room with their energy. The party was in full swing, and Mariko wasn't going to miss a moment of it. They mingled with the party guests as they danced. After about six or seven songs, they both took a break at the kitchen table. Mariko basically guzzled her beer down. "Now I know why you work out all the time..." She looked at Hyun out of the corner of her eye. She could hear him chuckle. She also heard him get up from his chair and he stood in front of her, holding his hand out to her.

"I wanna get some fresh air. Care to join me?"  
"Well, duh. Do you not see the sweat all over my face?"

Mariko placed her hand lightly in his and the two headed for the roof. It was cool for a June night. Both of them sat down on the edge of the building and lit up a cigarette. They simply enjoyed one another's presence. After a few minutes, Hyun broke the silence. "It's really nice to know that I have all of these people supporting me." He was staring up at the sky. The smile on his face could melt the hearts of even the most wicked. He turned towards her and brought her closer, keeping his arm around her shoulders. Mariko quickly finished her cigarette and laid her head on part of his chest like she normally would. However this felt...different. He held her more tightly than usual, and his head was on top of hers. They stayed like this for a few moments before Hyun continued. "Especially you. You've been there since the beginning and I can't thank you enough for that." He ran his fingers through her hair as he spoke. "There's...something I wanted to ask you about. Uhm..." He suddenly sounded nervous. Mariko looked up at him. His face was a bit flushed. She wasn't sure if it was emotion or the alcohol starting to take effect. He leaned in close to her face, looking her straight in the eyes. Hyun then spoke again, more softly this time. "It took me a while to finally figure this out but...I want you to stay by my side and continue to have your support." Mariko's eyes widened a bit. Was that...a confession? Hyun took this moment to close the gap between them. His lips were extremely soft and gentle against hers. She ended up kissing him back more aggressively, surprising the both of them. When the kiss ended, they both just stared at each other. 

"H-Hyun...I..." She struggled to find the words. Did she feel the same way? It was really overwhelming for her. She didn't want anything to happen to their friendship...plus, if he was starting to take off as an actor, would a relationship hinder him? But the way he was looking at her made all the anxiety leave her body. She pulled away from him for a moment and thought. The breeze came across the roof, making them both shiver. "Let's get back to the party and talk afterwards, okay? I just want to get my thoughts straight." Hyun nodded and smiled again at her. They both stood up and walked back to Hyun's apartment. No one had even missed them, thought they were only gone for about fifteen minutes. Mariko got yet another drink and rejoined Hyun in the living room. He was definitely a bit more touchy with her this time around. He wasn't afraid to place his hands on her hips, he kept her face near his while they danced once again. He was clearly enjoying himself. They both kept dancing and drinking until most of the party guests had left. Mariko was laying on the couch with her arm over her eyes. Hyun was saying goodbye to his director and closing the door. The two were finally alone.

Hyun approached the couch and sat on the end that Mariko wasn't on. Neither of them were making good judgement that night. Mariko's memories started to get hazy, but she remembered that she removed her arm and sat up slowly. She was giggling as she moved towards Hyun and put her head on his lap. The next thing she knew, they were kissing more heavily. Hyun pushed her back onto the couch and straddled her. Clothes were flying everywhere. She could remember him asking if it was alright and her saying yes. She could feel him lift her up while they continued to make out, and then it was dark. His bed was soft, she recalled. He was on top of her, kissing down from her lips to her neck. Whispering things that would even make a sailor blush. The rest of the night was a blur. She remembered getting up the next morning, snuggled into his arms and realizing what she had done. All of her bones ached and her muscles sore. Hyun was still sleeping peacefully and she could not escape. It was one of the most terrifying yet beautiful moments of her life. Would he regret it? Would he not remember? Would he...not want her anymore? It was all a mystery to her. Thankfully, he began to stir and wake up. He rubbed his eyes and moved his gorgeous silver hair out of his face and looked down. It took him a minute to process her being in his bed, but she would never forget the look on his face once he did. It was a mix of surprise, a bit of guilt but most of all, love. She could feel it deep in her soul and it was something she could never hope to adequately describe. 

"Good...morning, Mariko." was all he could muster to say. He released her and sat up. Mariko laid still, waiting to see if he was going to say more. It wasn't as awkward as she expected it to be. He reached a hand out and cupped her face. "You look so beautiful like this." She stayed silent. In reality, she just wasn't sure what to say. He adjusted his position to be down on her level and stayed quiet for what seemed like an eternity. 

Mariko broke the peace this time. "Do you...know what we did?" she asked, her voice shaking. Hyun nodded and smiled at her. He moved her part of the sheet up to get a glance at her entirety. Mariko blushed and took it away from him, gaining a chuckle out of her old friend. She glared at him a bit before laughing herself. She couldn't stay mad at him. In fact, she was never mad at all. But there was a question burning itself into her mind. "You don't regret it, do you?"

"No! God, I couldn't even regret it if I tried, Mari. If it was going to be with anyone, I'm glad it was with you and not some stranger." He kissed her lightly before getting completely up. He found some clothes to wear and looked back at her. "What do you want for breakfast, babe? I've got some time before I have to be back at the theater."

"Babe? You only call-"  
"My girlfriends that? Yeah, I know." He smirked at her.  
"...I see. I guess we're going all in, then."

\--

"Miss Chung? Miss Chung!" 

The voice of one of her peers snapped her out of her daydream. The regular noises outside of the building came back and one of her "lackeys" was waving a hand in front of her face. She glared and smacked it out of her way. "What do you want? I thought you were working on some newer designs before the presentation tomorrow."

"Boss is on the phone, and he wanted to speak to you immediately. He said it was important."

Mariko silently held out her hand, which the phone was promptly put in. She put on the most sarcastic yet polite tone she could come up with. "This is Song Development's best programmer Mariko Chung speaking. I'm totally not stopping my work to speak with you. Is there something I can assist with?" She could hear her other teammates laughing, but Boss was none too pleased. He only sighed until she stopped.

"So, I just received a call from none other than Jumin Han of C&R International. He requested that you be released from work ASAP. Said that you were doing a business deal for him? What the hell, Mariko?!"  
"I already told him I didn't want to do it."  
"That's not the problem here! You know him personally?!"  
"I can't tell you that. What did he promise in return?"  
"...Double the commission for the project we were doing for them. Frankly, I don't care why you didn't want to do what he wanted, you're doing it now."  
"Wha-?! You can't force me to do anything!"  
"I'll extend your vacation time by a week."  
"No, not uh, never in a million fucking years, Kyung."  
"Too bad. I've been really patient with you, Mariko, but this is something we really need right now. Just do it."  
"God dammit. Fine. I hope you're happy with your damn money." She hung up the phone angrily. Jumin was going to pay for that. In fact, he was going to get a call from her in the next few seconds...but her phone started to ring. Guess who? Jumin Fucking Han, of course. She was tempted to throw her phone out the window, but that would just be detrimental to her every day lifestyle, so alas, she instead picked it up and silently seethed. Jumin must have picked up on it.

"Being angry at me isn't going to change the outcome. I'll leave you the choice of where you want to be picked up. I can send Driver Kim in a few minutes."  
"Shove it, Jumin. I don't need your fancy driver. I can walk."  
"How can you walk if you don't know the address?"  
"Because I know the address, stupid. You'll figure it out later. Am I supposed to go now?"  
"Yes. I'll be waiting to hear about the deal in the chatroom later."  
"Whatever." She hung up on him and shoved the phone in her purse. "I have to leave early. Boss' orders. Don't burn down the place. I'll see you guys tomorrow." Mariko called out as she grabbed her coat. Her rage was probably enough to keep her warm in the late March day, but regardless, she put it on and stormed out of the building. She could not delay any longer. It was time to finally see Hyun face to face and own up to hurting him all those years ago. She thought back to what her mother told her on the phone last night.

"Just tell the truth. I'm sure the Hyun I know will understand. If he doesn't, then you don't need him."

A text message came through. She had been trying to avoid Hyun all day, but she opened up the thread. 'I can't help but be a little bit excited that you're coming...I can't wait to see you. I know you don't want to come, but everything will be okay. I promise.' He was so optimistic. 'It probably won't be. Just...believe me when I say it's me, alright?' she replied. She had a long walk ahead of her, so her phone was put back where it belonged and she focused on getting there safely. Her mind was riddled with worry and she was already defensive. It didn't look good...but she had to suck it up now and move forward. It would take about half an hour to walk there, so she had plenty of time to think of some responses. It was now...or never.

\--

The apartment complex was in sight. No doubt Hyun would be waiting for her. It took everything she had to not turn around and run away from it all. The party, her job, Hyun, everything. She just wanted to hold Kaguya and have everything continue as it were. It just wasn't meant to be and everyone had to stop running away sometime. She entered the building and approached his door. Her heart pounded in her chest. Her palms were sweating. She stood still for a minute. She searched herself for the courage to knock. It was like a very dim light in the blackest cave one could encounter. It was there, just very deep within her. Taking a very deep breath, she brought up her hand and knocked loudly. She could hear a shuffling inside of his apartment. She inhaled sharply and held it as she heard him get to his door. The knob turned slowly and the door soon swung open slowly, revealing Hyun Ryu in all of his glory. He was just about the same as she remembered, but his hair had grown out somewhat. The excitement was evident on his face when he had initially opened the door, but that quickly turned to confusion as he studied her. He blinked slowly and even shook his head. "No...it couldn't be..." escaped his lips. Mariko wasn't sure what she should do. Should she say something? Should she let him say something? Should she just turn around and run back to where she came from? 

Hyun came towards her. He leaned on one of his crutches and gingerly touched her face. "So you really are...Mariko?" She didn't say a word. He pulled his hand back and looked towards the floor for a moment. Mariko expected him to tell her to leave, but instead she heard a light sob come from him. And then...a laugh. A bellowing, hearty laugh. He looked back up with a hand on his head, grabbing at his hair. "How did I miss that? The signs were all there...You still talk the same. How could I not have recognized my best friend? God, Hyun!" She could see the tears rolling down his face. While using the door frame to support himself, he pulled her in for a tight hug. Mariko couldn't help but cry as well. This wasn't what she had expected to happen. Hyun brought the both of them inside and shut the door. The place basically still looked the same. The both went to the kitchen and sat at the table. So many memories came flooding back all at once. Mariko wiped her tears away and finally spoke.

"You never change, Hyun..."  
"Neither do you, Mariko."

She wasn't sure what to talk about first. From the looks of it, Hyun didn't either. She could tell he had so many questions. It was probably hard picking the first one. She got up and walked to the fridge. It was, of course, scarce except for a case of beer. She grabbed two and slid one over to Hyun. She cracked hers open and took a few sips. It calmed her a bit, at least enough to relax against the chair. So, he wasn't spewing hate at her...but what really were his feelings?

"So...you know I'm supposed to be trying to talk you into that dumb cat commercial that Jumin wants you to do. Though...I think there are more important matters to talk about first. Is...is there something you want to know first?"  
"Why didn't you want to see me?"  
"Because it's me, Hyun. Disappearing without a second thought...it must have hurt you badly."  
"It...did. I honestly didn't think I would ever see you again but...I'm sure you wouldn't abandon me without a good reason. That's not part of the Mariko protocol. It wasn't anything I did, was it? I know we kind of moved things quickly at that party, but it didn't seem like I offended you."  
"It...was sort of your fault, but not because you did anything wrong. It's true that I was really freaked out by us sleeping together, but...something else happened."  
"What else happened? You can't just stop there, pretty lady!"  
"I don't want you to feel guilty. It was my choice to keep you out."  
"Keep me out...? What are you talking about?"

At this point, Mariko started to lose it. Sobs started to come from her. With every heave, it felt like her chest was on fire. Her tears started to hit the table. Hyun tried to console her, but she just kept talking and shaking. There was no stopping the flood gates now.

"Mom was still working two jobs to keep going and I didn't want you to stop acting. I was on my own and I needed money. I did horrendous things to people...to families...even some governments. I stole, I lied, I tore lives apart. But I couldn't give her up, I couldn't. I knew that if I told you, you would stop pursuing your dream and I didn't want to prove your parents right. So...I left. I went to America and honed my programming skills. My hacking skills. When I earned enough money, I came home. I still hacked from home, trying to put money away so Mom wouldn't have to worry if someone found me and blew my brains out. I kept you out on purpose and I'm so sorry." Her voice trailed off into incoherent mumbling. Hyun was stunned. Mariko could only continue to bawl as the truth hung in the air. Well, most of the truth. She hadn't gotten to the biggest piece of the puzzle yet. Hyun gained back some of his senses and asked the question she was most dreading.

"Who is this 'she' you keep talking about?"  
"Our daughter, Hyun."  
"Jesus, Mariko! How could you keep that from me?!"

Mariko took out her phone after her sobs finally subsided. She pulled up the most recent photo of Kaguya she had. She looked so much like her father. White hair, red eyes, even some of her facial features reflected Hyun's. She pushed the phone at him. "She turns four on Saturday..." Mariko commented. Hyun stared at Kaguya's photo. He held a hand over his mouth and had a 'deer in the headlights' look. He scrolled through the photos, seeing her grow up (or...get younger) in a matter of seconds. 

"What's her name?"  
"Kaguya. She has my last name, obviously...sorry about that."

He nodded and kept scrolling. He must have ended on the photo of them from their younger days, because it automatically made him smile. He put her phone down gently and stared at her for a long moment before he motioned her to come closer. Mariko slowly got up from her chair and walked towards him. She stood in front of him, just waiting for him to be angry with her for keeping such an important aspect of his life from him. Instead, he held her hand.

"I'm just...so happy to have you back. I don't care what you've done...you're here now and you've told me everything. I understand why you did what you did. I only wish you would have let me make the decision for myself. I've missed so much of her life already and it's time I can't get back." He pulled her down so he could be level with her. "But that doesn't mean I don't want to make up for it now." He gave her another small smile and sighed. It was obvious that he was exhausted from everything going on. Realization came over his face after a moment. "Her birthday is this Saturday? That's when the party is! Now I see why you were so upset." He got up from the chair. He wandered over to the coat rack and grabbed his coat. Mariko looked at him questioningly, but also stood up. He made sure he had his phone, wallet, all the essentials when one leaves the house. 

"Where are we going?"  
"You saw the fridge. Plus I want to get Kaguya a present."  
"And who said I was going to help?"  
"I did. You still owe me a date. You're about five years overdue."  
"Fine. The usual place to eat?"  
"Sounds like a plan to me."

The two went on their way, taking to the city just like old times. The caught up slowly, Hyun asking questions about Kaguya and Mariko asking him about his theater work. He told her about Echo Girl's visit and how she claimed to be his fan. Mariko thought it was a bit suspicious on the idol's part, but shrugged it off. They went out to eat first, as Mariko was starving. Their mutual friend was surprised to see them together again, but welcomed them in with open arms. It was actually really fun to catch up with everyone. They then proceeded to shop around the district. Honestly, the pair of them didn't want to be out too long as it was beginning to get dark. It was a good thing that they didn't stray far from Hyun's apartment. Mariko helped carry most of the bags inside and put them away. He had sent her away for a few minutes while he had gotten a present for Kaguya, so not even she knew what it was. He was sitting on the couch with a hoodie on. She noticed he had his pack of cigarettes on the coffee table. "You need a smoke break?" she asked him, pulling one of her own out. The went through Hyun's access door up to the roof. Everything was starting to come full circle.

They sat in their normal spot on the edge and looked up at the moon. It was eerily similar to the night of the party. They had a bit of space between them, but his hand was on top of hers in the middle. "It's beautiful out tonight." Mariko commented nonchalantly. Hyun looked at her from the corner of his eye. He nodded his head slightly and continued to smoke his cigarette until it was finished. Mariko took hers a bit more slowly, but Hyun filled the silence.

"I probably shouldn't try to do those rehearsals, should I? I feel bad for lying to the director and using Echo Girl like that. You know how I feel about people with money. Reminds me too much of Dae-jung." He should his head. "Speaking of them...how are they? Do you know?"

Mariko exhaled. "I haven't seen Dae-jung recently. Two Christmases ago, I think. He came over with his wife and your parents. He didn't say much, really. Just asked me about Kaguya and if you knew. He was polite enough." She took another drag. "Your mom has been over at the house more often lately...since she retired, really. She seems to be in good health. Mom and her do a lot of activities with Kaguya when I'm working." She looked over at Hyun. He seemed worried. She took her hand out from under his and stroked his arm in reassurance. "Now, she doesn't speak directly to me often but...I think she really regrets driving you away. She's always telling Kaguya that she's cute and is getting her things. My mom and I haven't really told her who Kaguya's father is...but she knows. It's impossible not to know." Mariko snickered at her comment. "I really think the only reason she hasn't tried to call you is because of your dad. He's...slowly coming around. He doesn't treat us poorly, but I think he's set in his ways. He was really upset when he saw Kaguya for the first time...but her charm works on everyone eventually. He doesn't see my mom often so I can't really say for sure, but he was at least speaking with me the last time he did." Mariko finished her cigarette off and put it into a nearby jar. "Maybe you should call them, Hyun."

"Don't start sounding like that jerk." Hyun said. "I'm happy to hear that they're doing good, but I don't think I'm ready for that yet, Mari." He wiped his face a bit. "Oh yeah, you're supposed to be convincing me to do that commercial. Well, my answer is still no deal. I don't need Jumin." Mariko sighed. She could tell what was going on.

"Do you hate him because he's like Dae-jung?"  
"What? No, Jumin's just a jerk."  
"But why is he a jerk? Jumin does sort of look like Dae too..."  
"It's not that. It's because he's always talking about how much money means and shit like that."  
"...Just like Dae-jung was."  
"..."  
"Jumin really is just trying to help you, Hyun. Maybe you should at least consider it as backup just in case you can't play this new role? In principal, you shouldn't have accepted it from Echo Girl..."  
"I know, I know. It really was unlike me...you're right, like always, Mariko."  
"I'm not trying to be right, I'm just trying to help you guys get along."  
"I'll think about it. Okay?"

"Good enough. Jumin can be angry if he wants to be, I held up my end of the bargain." Mariko and Hyun both laughed a bit and sat closer together. He held his arm up so she could snuggle into his chest. He placed his arm gently around her shoulders and squeezed her lightly. He even kissed the top of her head. She felt at home in Hyun's arms. This time around, she wasn't going to run away. She was tired. What she really wanted was to settle down and have someone to come home to every night. No more strange hotel rooms. No more travelling. She knew in her heart now that if Hyun wanted her, she was going to take the chance. Mariko glanced up at him. He gave her the same sort of look that he did when they woke up entangled in one another. They didn't have to say anything. She pulled on his shirt collar to bring him closer and their lips were once again joined after five years of separation. The touch was like electricity to her body. He fully embraced her, wrapping her up in the most love that he could show. There was no space between their bodies. The kiss lasted about a minute before they broke it off, both looking at the other with a knowing glance.

"Just like last time...I'm too perfect to resist now." Hyun said lustfully and grinned. She hit his shoulder lightly and pushed away from him. She helped him up. "We should go back inside...Jaehee is definitely not going to be happy about us, but I don't care." They made it back inside and turned the TV on. "Hyun?" Mariko asked. He turned around and faced her expectantly. She felt a burst of courage she should have felt years ago.

"I love you."  
"...I have been waiting for over a decade to hear you to say that. I love you too, Mariko."

They smiled at each other. Hyun went off to his bedroom while Mariko sat on the couch. It was starting to become late. It would be too dangerous to return to Rika's apartment on foot. Hyun probably still had his motorcycle around somewhere, but with his ankle in a cast it would probably be difficult to drive and she didn't know how. It looked like she'd probably be staying at Hyun's, which she didn't have a problem with. She took the break to log into the chat. Jumin was the only one around.

Jumin Han: Hello, MC.  
MC: Heyo!  
Jumin Han: You haven't left Zen's place yet?  
MC: Eh, it's too dark now.  
Jumin Han: I could always have Assistant Kang call Driver Kim. I'm out on a business trip right now.  
Jumin Han: I should be back for our meeting tomorrow.  
MC: Ah, sure. I mean, to the meeting thing, not having Jaehee call your driver. I'm sure Hyun won't care if I stay.  
Jumin Han: So you two are on a first name basis already? (You two are already a couple...)  
MC: Oh yeah...about that.  
MC: There's no sense in hiding it from everyone anymore.  
MC: My name is Mariko Chung. Of course, you already knew that. I think the only one that didn't was Yoosung, actually.  
MC: But...I come from the same small town Hyun grew up in.  
MC: In fact, we were neighbors and best friends for a /very/ long time.  
Jumin Han: ...You continue to surprise me.  
MC: I had to leave suddenly about five years ago and the circumstances weren't good.  
MC: I just didn't want Hyun to know it was me, so I kept it from everyone.  
MC: Except Seven, that nosy brat.

Mariko sent the photo of them together from before and one that Hyun took of them tonight.

MC: So now you know. So Jaehee can stop bellyaching about us barely knowing each other. I've known him my entire life.  
MC: Our mothers are actually best friends. Small world, ey?  
Jumin Han: You two look very happy.  
Jumin Han: But I do have a pressing question...  
MC: He said he would at least think about it. Give him some time to come to a conclusion on his own.  
Jumin Han: I just don't understand why he discriminates against me.  
Jumin Han: It seems as though he never wants to deal with me ever.  
MC: He admitted that he does earlier.  
MC: I think I know why, but it's just not my place to say. They're his reasons...he's not doing it to be unfair, I promise.  
Jumin Han: Thank you for making an excuse for him.  
Jumin Han: I have to go speak with a few people...but I hope Zen doesn't feel inferior because of my background.  
Jumin Han: I'll get going, then.  
Jumin Han has left the chatroom.

Mariko sighed. Those two would never get it through those thick skulls of theirs, would they? She just had to hope that they would fix it on their own. She heard Hyun's bedroom door open and he came out in more comfortable clothes and had something balled up in his hand. He joined her on the couch, immediately bringing her over to cuddle. He looked at the time and then at her. "It looks like you're going to have to stay tonight. I'm not letting you go in the dark." He threw a t-shirt over her head. "Go get changed. I'll have a movie playing when you get back." Mariko pulled the shirt off of her and threw it back at him. 

"Not before I call my mother before she goes to bed. I'll be right back." She kissed him and got up. She headed for the roof again. Hyun, on the other hand, was trying to make some popcorn and getting them some drinks when the door bell rang. 

"Who could it be at this time of night?" He whispered to himself. He walked over to the front door and asked in a polite voice, "Who is it?~" There wasn't a vocal answer, just someone trying to turn the knob while it was locked. He unlocked it and opened it a crack. When he recognized who it was, he opened it the rest of the way.

"Zenny~!" a girlish voice called out. Hyun just looked at her dumbfounded. A young lady with big blue eyes and long brown hair came in the door. She was wearing a navy dress that was accented with a white collar and cuffs. She looked overly hopeful. "I sneaked out!"

"What?!" Hyun said. "What if someone sees you here?" He was clearly unhappy with her presence.  
"I don't care, we're just working together! Besides, if we get in a scandal together, you'll be way more popular~"  
"I don't want popularity like that. If someone sees you, they're going to misinterpret why you're here."  
"No, no, no! It took me ages to sneak out!!"  
"Why did you come here? We just talked this morning."  
"Don't play coy. There's only one reason a woman would come to a man's house this late at night..."  
"Shush. Jesus Christ..."  
"Zen~ I'm positive it was almost impossible to control yourself around my body...I'm old enough to know!"  
"...What's your real name?"  
"Huh?"  
"Your name."  
"Can't I come inside before saying something embarrassing like that?"  
"No."  
"...Kyungju Choi. Now be more friendly!"  
"Kyungju, you need to understand...just stop talking."  
"Zennnnnyyyy! What's wrong?"  
"I want you to go home."  
"W-what?"  
"You heard me. Go home."  
"But...but...My breasts are all natural! They're a size D!!"  
"GO. HOME."  
"Why aren't I good enough? I even got you that role!!"  
"I am not going to do anything like that just for a role. Go home."  
"...Is it because I look like I'm fragile? Too innocent that you can't put your hands on me? I know I look young, but I'm a grown woman! Touch me, Zen! If you start dating me, we can support you! My family is very wealthy!!"  
"I guess I'm not making it clear enough...Kyungju I already have someone. Please, just go."  
"Who is she?!"  
"You don't need to know that. Look, if I was interested in you, I would have already let you in. I'm sorry, but I can call your manager or a cab. So you have three options: say goodbye forever, let me call your manager, or call a cab."  
"You talk just like Jumin! All of the RFA guys are just so...weird! How could you resist all of this?!"  
"Like I said, I have someone I love already. So, I'm calling your manager, then..."

Hyun picked up his phone and dialed up Kyungju's manager. However, Kyungju was still standing at the door, trying to argue her way in. In this moment, both of them stopped when the door to the roof opened up and revealed Mariko. She was completely oblivious to the situation at the door and kept speaking with her mother in their mother tongue of Japanese. She also had a cigarette still in her mouth, though she was on the last drag. She exhaled the smoke lightly and put the cigarette out in the ashtray on the coffee table. She turned towards the kitchen and froze. Kyungju was staring right at her, almost furious. Mariko waved politely and said goodnight to her mom. She cleared her throat and switched back over to speaking Korean to address Hyun's new guest. "Uhm...Hello! Sorry if I seemed rude just now...I didn't realize Hyun was getting any other guests tonight." She laughed a bit nervously. This seemed really bad. Hyun looked stressed out. He glanced at Mariko and seemed more stressed out. Mariko realized then that the woman at the door wasn't supposed to notice her being there. Mariko quickly came up with a plan. "Hey, Hyun? Thanks for letting me use your roof access! I really needed a place away from Min to talk, so I'll catch you later!" She grabbed her coat and headed at the door, winking discreetly at Hyun. He just nodded and waved to her. Mariko waved at Kyungju again and headed out of the complex to wait nearby.

Mariko hid in the shadows until Kyungju was picked up by a limo. She quickly ran back across the street and headed towards Hyun's door again. She knocked lightly on the door and Hyun opened it before she could even put her hand down. He was rubbing his forehead. "What the hell was that all about?"

"She wanted to...sleep with me, I think? I turned her down and she said I sounded just like Jumin. So strange. But thanks for thinking on your feet. I don't think she realized that you were the one I was talking about. She's not the brightest bulb if you know what I mean." They hugged each other tightly. "Now...I promised someone a movie!"

"You aren't worried about that girl? Who was that anyways?"  
"That was Echo Girl. I think she'll end up firing me from the role but...I don't care. I wasn't going to degrade myself like that."  
"Good. Now I'm going to go get changed and we can settle for the night. I have to work tomorrow...oh shit!" Mariko scrambled around. "I have to present to Jumin's company tomorrow! Argh!" Mariko looked in her purse (which was more like a messenger bag, but whatever) and got out her laptop. "I know I shouldn't be working right now, but I have to set this all up before the morning." Hyun lead her to the couch and sat her down. He then joined her, snuggling up to her. 

"Then work, sweetie. We can go to bed later..." He kissed her cheek and then laid on the other end of the couch, watching the movie that he had picked for them. Mariko secretly appreciated his support and typed like the wind. She would get it done.

After the movie, Mariko looked over to see Hyun knocked out. She was done with what she needed to do, so she quietly got up and changed. She would have to leave a bit early to go get around properly for the presentation, but it didn't matter. Hyun looked so peaceful as he slept. She kissed his forehead and woke him up enough for them to go into the bedroom. Both of them were exhausted. Surely, he was more worn out than her considering he found out he was a father and had to deter a lust-crazed singer. The bed was still familiar to her as she climbed into it. Hyun basically fell into in face first, making her giggle.

"Goodnight, Hyun~"  
"Goodnight, Mariko. I love you."  
"I love you too..."

It was the most peaceful sleep of her life.

\--

It was the middle of the night. The house was dark and very very scary. The wind made strange noises that sounded like whispers. Something was just wrong, she knew it! The bed creaked as she climbed out of it and crept towards the door. "Naaaannnnaaaa..." her voice pitifully carried through the empty hallway. There was no response. She opened the door enough for her to leave her bedroom, calling again for her grandmother. "Nanaaaa?" Again, no response. She listened carefully, but nothing came up to her ears. She tip toed to the railing of the stairs and looked down. Of course, she could see nothing. She waited for a minute without even breathing and just listened. What she heard next was something she would probably never forget. The voices she heard were speaking English, something her mother thankfully taught her. She could hear her grandmother whimpering and trying to hold back cries of pain. She was almost incoherent, but the girl did pick up, "Leave her alone! What do you want?!" She squeaked and it reverberated through the entire house. Someone rushed towards the stairs and she ran back to her room. She shut the door and ran to the closet. 

She started to cry. What was going on?! She couldn't cry for long because the person came running up the stairs and bust into her bedroom. They ransacked the entire room, yelling out to one another. "Just find the stupid kid and let's go! Did you take care of that old woman?" She didn't hear the response, but when the person in her room (who sounded like a man) gave an answer along the lines of "good work" she couldn't help but sob a little. She didn't stop herself in time and the man came right over to the closet and threw the door open.

"Gotcha." The sinister voice trilled. Hands were grabbing her and lifting her up. She fought and cried and tried to yell, but the man covered her mouth with his hand. She was taken downstairs were she could see her grandmother beaten and bloody on the kitchen floor. "Nana?!" she tried to say, but it came out muffled. Her grandmother was trying despritely to get up, but her feeble body wouldn't allow it. She was crying.

"Ka...guya!" Her grandmother said pathetically. She was coughing and a person came up and kicked her in the gut. Nana was quiet after that.

Kaguya was simply not strong enough to fight off the intruders. They blind folded her and threw her in a car. She was held down on the seat forcefully, but otherwise they left her alone. There was no talking whatsoever. Kaguya could only bawl and call for the only other comfort she could think of. "Mama! Where's my mommy?!" She cried over and over again. No one said a word to her. Where were they going?!

It seemed like the car was going to go forever, but about two or three hours later, they finally stopped. They threw Kaguya out of the car into the arms of another group of people. They transferred her to another car. They were "welcoming" her to a paradise. To a life without hurt. They only traveled for another hour before the girl saw a huge white building. An eye symbol was visible. Someone picked her up more gently and brought her inside. By this time, the poor girl had no tears left to cry. She sniffled as she was carried to a big room. A table was set up with some snacks and a toddler bed was at the other end. There were toys and puzzles and all the things that she liked to do. They released her bindings and quickly left, locking the door from the other side. Kaguya sat in the middle of the room.

"I...I want Mommy..." she whined. 

"You'll see Mommy later. For now...just play for a little while...I promise we'll have some fun later~" A voice came over a speaker. It was polite and feminine. Kaguya crumpled up on the floor, laying in the fetal position. She didn't understand what was going on, but it was the only thing she knew how to do when she felt sad. Her four year old brain just couldn't comprehend why someone would do that to her Nana. Her tears started to return and they streamed off her face and made a small puddle beneath her head. She stayed like this until her body forced her to sleep. 

'Mommy will come find me...she had to...right?'


	11. It's Bad Timing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything that can go wrong...will go wrong.

The sun had not yet risen when Mariko stirred from her sleep. The smell that filled her nose was sweet and comforting. She could feel her skin touching Hyun's and sighed with content. She was buried into his neck and she could feel him breathe slowly. His arms were wrapped around her waist and were holding her tightly. She chuckled and kissed his neck lightly until he moved slightly. "Mmm...your kisses feel so good to wake up to..." Hyun said while he stretched a bit. He rolled over so he was on top of her and kissed her deeply. Mariko kissed him back, a smile coming across her face and against his lips. She looked up at him. Her eyes took a moment to adjust to the darkness, but she could make out his hair and those beautiful eyes of his. She could feel herself melting under his gaze. However, their moment was ruined by her alarm going off. Hyun turned it off for her. It was time for both of them to get up.

"I don't wanna get out of your bed..." Mariko whined. Hyun huffed and smiled at her. He climbed off of her and off the bed.   
"Do you want breakfast? I know you have a busy day today. Can't go on an empty stomach. We've got some time." Her stomach growled in response. "I'll take that as a yes, then. You're such a simple creature..." Mariko threw a pillow at him, making him laugh and exit the room. "Come out when you're ready~ I'll have some coffee brewing."

\--

"So, as you all can see...we have updated the design and have made the program more passive in design..." Mariko demonstrated to the council of C&R International. She was dressed similarly to the first time she had presented, but this time her hair was pulled back into a neat ponytail. "As long as the computer is on, the C&R File Protection should keep sensitive information hidden to hackers or other digital threats. Business can be conducted electronically without worry. It can also wipe personal information from the servers after thirty days. It can, of course, be turned off if it's too inconvenient." The council nodded at her and they all seemed pleased with how it all turned out. Mariko breathed an internal sigh of relief. She glanced at Jumin in particular. He seemed bothered by something. Mariko was about to move on to hear feedback from the company executives, but a knock was heard. Jaehee got up politely and opened it, revealing a police officer. Mariko wasn't concerned at first until Jaehee motioned her over. "Um...please excuse me for a moment. Ye-jun, take over for a moment." She bowed slightly at the council and ducked out of the room with the officer. This couldn't be good.

"Are you Miss Mariko Chung, daughter of Eri Chung?"  
"Er...yes. Has something happened?"  
"Ma'am, we've been trying to get a hold of you for quite a while. We hate to be the bringers of bad news but...your mother is currently in critical condition at the local hospital. She is not doing well."  
"What happened?!" Mariko almost yelled. Some of the office workers looked over, but she couldn't be bothered to acknowledge them.  
"It seemed a group of men broke in last night. They beat her almost to death, but fortuneatly, the neighbor called police when she heard a commotion."  
"No...Do you have my daughter?"  
"I wasn't informed that there was supposed to be a child. How old is she?"  
"She's almost four....oh gods, no...They didn't-"  
"Ma'am, calm down. What does she look like?"  
Mariko turned her phone on quickly and pulled up Kaguya's most recent photo. "She's very distinct. Her name is Kaguya Chung. I have a physical photo in my purse if you would let me get it..." Mariko started to shake, trying to contain all of the emotions overtaking her. "Please, officer, please find her. If someone has abducted her..." Tears started to well up in her eyes. The officer patted and rubbed her shoulder in an attempt to console her.  
"We promise we'll do everything we can to find her. I'm sure the local police officers are already looking for her." He quickly scribbled on a note where her mother was currently. "This is the information we have. Just a personal note...she really did not look good. It would be best to go now and prepare for the worst." Mariko nodded. She hurried back into the meeting room and quickly gathered her things. Jumin shot her a concerned look and Jaehee tried to ask her what was going on. But before they could say anything, Mariko looked at Chairman Han.

"I have a family emergency. May I borrow your son for a moment, please? I apologize for leaving, but my other two peers are very capable of providing assistance. Mr. Han, I really need to speak with you. Come with me a moment."

Jumin stood up and quietly followed her out the door. She quietly handed the photo to the police officer and let him go on his way. They went to a more private spot that was available, in which Mariko almost completely lost it. "Jumin...I need your's and Seven's help. I know Hyun is going to hate me for asking you but..." Jumin looked at her questioningly. "My mother...my mother was beaten last night and my daughter was kidnapped. They're all I have...I need help finding Kaguya while I tend to my mom. I wouldn't ask if I wasn't desperate. Please, Jumin!" Mariko looked up at him. She didn't know how much longer she could hold everything back. Jumin stayed silent for a minute before nodding solemnly. 

"I will do everything I can. I know time is of the essence in this sort of situation, so I will inform Assistant Kang immediately. Go to your mother." Mariko hugged him tightly before basically running out of the building. Jumin watched her go and then picked up the phone to make a phone call. "Luciel. I need your talents."

\--

Once outside of the building, Mariko flagged down a taxi and was on the phone. It took a couple of tries, but Hyun finally picked up.

"Calling to listen to my perfect voice?~" Hyun cooed at her. This quickly changed when he heard her start to cry. She tried her best to be clear in giving the driver her destination. "Why are you going to the hospital? What happened?! Are you okay?!"

"She's gone, Hyun. Kaguya is missing, Mom might be dead by the time I get there, and I didn't even know until about ten minutes ago. What kind of mother am I?" Mariko wiped her tears away in vain, but she tried to put on a brave face. "I already asked Jumin to try and find her...I'm sure he's called Seven already."

There was silence on the other line. After two minutes of Mariko crying, Hyun finally whispered, "This cannot be happening..."  
"I wouldn't lie to you about something like that."  
"I know that...this makes that visit earlier way less threatening."  
"Visit?"  
"Echo Girl came by, saying that she saw Jumin and that I trashed her feelings or something. Saying shit about revenge? I don't know or care. I'll meet you at the hospital."  
"O-okay, Hyun...please, come quickly. I'm almost there."

They hung up. The driver pulled up to the hospital doors and she bolted from the car, paying the driver an unknown amount. She knew it was over. "Thank you!!" she called out behind her as she rushed to the front desk. She gave the information she had and was lead to a private room. The nurse looked at her apologetically and knocked on the door lightly. She opened it and lead Mariko inside. When they got to her mother's bedside, Mariko was horrified. Her mother's head was almost completely covered in bandages. She could see quite a few stitches on her chest. Her leg was in a cast. The rest of the damage was hidden by her hospital gown. The nurse explained quickly.

"It seemed they first beat her with their hands and then moved on to blunt objects. Her skull was fractured, her nose broken, and her eyes are very swollen. It seemed that one of them must have stabbed her on her left side as she was bleeding heavily. One of her lungs collapsed from them continually kicking her in the chest, breaking two of her ribs. She had quite a few cuts over her arms and chest, some of which had to be closed with the stitches you can see. She is very lucky that she survived, but because of her age, her body just isn't as strong as it once was. It's very much touch and go. She did leave a few marks on her assailants. We found skin under her nails that wasn't hers, so at least one of them has a pretty big gash. She fought until she passed out. We haven't been able to speak to her yet...we found you through her paperwork." Mariko could only stare at what was left of her mother. She was still breathing, thankfully, but her heartbeat was slow. She lightly touched her mother's hand. She did not get a response. The nurse quietly left and shut the door behind her. 

"Mom...oh God, this is all my fault, isn't it? I'm so sorry..." She sat in the chair nearest to her and held on to her mother's hand. "Kaguya is gone and I just feel so torn...Where do I go? What do I even do?! I'm your daughter, but I'm her mother. You would know what to do...Please hang in there, Mom. I love you." There was another light knock at the door. Without waiting for an answer, it opened and Hyun came in. He quickly came to the other side of Eri. He seemed just as dumbfounded to find her in this state.

"Who would do this to an old lady?! When I find them, I swear I'll-!"  
"Let's be calm, okay?"  
"I just don't know what else to do with myself...yesterday, I found out that I have a little girl and today she was taken away. Even though I only knew of her existence for a day, I love her more than anything else. I'm angry and worried and other emotions I can't really describe. What are we supposed to do, Mariko?"  
"Right now, we just have to believe in the police, Jumin, and Seven...It doesn't stop me from imagining the worst possible scenario, but...it does give me a little bit of hope..."  
"I envy your strength. I just want to shut down."  
"But we can't. That would be the worst thing we could do, Hyun. We just...have to believe she's going to come back."  
"..."

Mariko glanced around the room a moment. There wasn't much...but there was a TV remote. "Let's take a look at the news really quick. I'm sure that they might have a story up about this." Mariko turned the TV on and listened. The news was on, but it was their celebrity gossip segment. She was about to tune out until they showed a picture of Hyun's apartment. "What the fuck?" Mariko said and turned it up.

"An accusation to shock the country! Idol Echo Girl has recently come out with a statement that the up and coming actor ZEN assaulted her! She reported that he forced her into his home and touched her inappropriately on her chest. She states, 'He wanted to check if my breasts were real and wanted to go further...but I managed to escape before that could happen. I was so scared when I left!' Showing now is the actor's current residence. It seems he lives in an underground apartment in which the rent is usually cheap...some have concluded that ZEN must have preyed upon Echo Girl for more fame and income. Such a shame. Echo Girl also announced the cancellation of the production she was working on with ZEN and a hiatus."

"What the fuck is she talking about? She didn't come in the door! That little conniving bitch!" Mariko hissed. Hyun just hung his head in his hands. This was making one of the worst days of their life even worse. He was silent, with Mariko trying to console him. 

"Hah...looks like I'm finished." Hyun said. His voice was full of despair. "First, my daughter is missing, then the woman that always treated me like her own son is here in the hospital and now my career is gone in a puff of smoke, just like that..." The news continued.

"In other news, a rumor has come out from an anonymous female singer and other sources that Jumin Han, heir of C&R International, is gay. It is strange how one has never seen him with a woman." The anchors all nodded at one another and shuffled the papers on their desk. "This concludes our Celebrity News. In local news, a woman was brutally beaten and stabbed last night in her home. Eri Chung, a respected elder of her small town, was taken to a hospital in the nearby city of Seoul in critical condition." A picture of her mother came on, shifting over to one side of the screen. Another photo came on, this one of Kaguya. It was the very one that she provided to police not even an hour earlier. "We have an urgent announcement from the police department. Kaguya Chung, granddaughter of Eri Chung, is a four year old girl who was in the elder's care when she was attacked. Police have not been able to locate her and are afraid that the young girl has been kidnapped. If you have seen any trace of her, you are instructed to call the police and report it ASAP. Her mother, Mariko Chung, has not been available for a comment. We will be keeping an eye on this developing story." Mariko sighed. So, Jumin was in trouble and her name was broadcast on the news...that was manageable. She was going to mute the TV when the anchors continued to comment on Kaguya.

"You know, doesn't that girl look an awful lot like that actor who assaulted Echo Girl? I wonder if he had a secret love child with Miss Chung. I'm sure she's ashamed to have a child with a pervert! That poor girl! Maybe the apple-" The broadcast cut off suddenly. Mariko was seething. How dare they bring her daughter into a false rumor like that?! Hyun's face was full of rage as well. It seemed they were thinking the same thing. Mariko shut it off, throwing the remote across the room. Her phone rang and she recoginzed the tone as being Seven's. She picked it up angrily.

"Did you find anything?"  
"I have a few suspicions, but nothing solid yet...did you see the news? Poor Zen...and poor you, too."  
"They're lucky I don't rip them apart. I wonder why it was shut off, though."  
"Ah...Jumin did that once they started to talk about Kaguya like that."  
"Please thank him. From both of us."  
"Both of you?"  
"Hyun is with me. I'm honestly afraid for him to leave the hospital."  
"It couldn't have come at a worse time...but weren't you there when Echo Girl was?"  
"Yes, and I can assure you that the rumors are completely false."  
"Still...that news guy started to connect the dots. Thankfully, your face wasn't shown on TV. If you came out and said they were false, I don't know if it would deter anyone..."  
"...You're probably right. They'll think I'm trying to protect my baby daddy or something. Jesus..."  
"Random question...did you set up security cameras anywhere at your mom's house?"  
"Eh?...Actually, yeah. There's one on the outside of the front door, one on the side door, and one in the kitchen...though that one is really really hidden."  
"Bingo. Thank you."  
"Call me back if you find anything. Please."  
"Will do." Click.

She got up from her chair and paced along the length of the room. It was the only thing she could do to not scream her lungs out. They were all silent for a few moments before a commotion was heard down the hallway. It sounded like hospital security was trying to hold back a large group of people. "We saw him go in there! The press deserves a response!" A voice yelled. Mariko realized that it was reporters and probably Hyun's haters. Before she could do something rash, Hyun got up and started to head out the door. Mariko stopped him.

"That would definitely be suicide. Just let Security take care of them. If you try to respond now, you'll just be fueling them in Echo Girl's favour. Let's wait 'em out." Mariko pleaded with him. It seemed to calm the actor down enough for him to sit back down. He was oddly quiet. His head was probably buzzing around with so many thoughts. He looked completely drained of energy and Mariko probably didn't look much better herself. Mariko looked back towards her mother. She was sitting up, looking towards the noise. Her eyes could not open, but Mariko knew then she was awake. It was probably hard for her to sit like that and even more difficult to speak. "Mom! Lay back down, please..." Mariko rushed back over and helped her mother be more comfortable. Eri touched her face lightly and tried to smile at her. "I'm here...I'm sorry about all of this..." Her mom seemed to be listening for another person and seemed upset when she could not hear them. "Kaguya is still missing...I have some friends working on trying to find her. I promise you that they won't stop until she's found." She stroked Eri's hand that was on her face. 

Hyun cleared his throat a little. Eri immediately looked towards his voice. He spoke gently. "Hello, Mrs. Chung...It's been a long time, I know. I came as soon as I heard about it. I'm sorry this all happened to you..." Eri nodded very slightly. She reached out for him, in which Hyun held her hand. It seemed to make her happy. "Mariko told me about Kaguya...about her job...everything. I'm going to find Kaguya and make up for the four years that I wasn't around. The only thing you need to worry about is being strong. The doctors are doing everything they can." Eri could only nod and squeeze his hand in appreciation. In a great effort, Eri finally spoke. It was in Japanese, so Mariko translated for Hyun afterward.

"I'm happy...to know...that Kaguya finally has a completed family...and that she is...so so loved..." She took a few ragged breaths. "Mariko, you don't...need to apologize. If this is what fate had in store, well...it couldn't be helped. Just do your old mother justice and find our little girl." Mariko nodded her head furiously. Eri pulled her hands back and fully relaxed in the bed. "I'm very tired...please let me rest." Within minutes, her mother's breathing was finally a bit more peaceful and she could settle down. She approached the door and listened for a few minutes. It seemed security was able to get rid of the reporters. She sighed in relief. 

"It's safe to leave the room, at least. Don't you need to go get your cast off?"  
"Oh! Yeah...but will you be alright if I go?"  
"Yes, I'm happier now that Mom spoke. I'll keep you updated, promise. Just do what you need to do to be safe and keep an ear out for anything regarding Kaguya. I'm needed here."  
"Okay...I promise to call when I get home. Okay?"  
"Deal. Now get going!"

Hyun kissed her goodbye and headed for his appointment. Mariko logged into the chatroom. Everyone was trying to give them encouragement. She also had a few text messages, mostly from Jaehee and Yoosung. They were trying to give her more support in private. The question that Jaehee asked caught her attention. 'Is your daughter also Zen's daughter? I won't reveal that secret anywhere, but it would be important to know so I can give him support as well...'

'Yes, she is his. The press doesn't need to know that, though. If Seven hasn't let Jumin and Yoosung know about that yet...then please inform them. Although, I have a gut feeling this wasn't Echo Girl's doing...'

'I agree with that. It seemed more aggressive than Echo Girl is capable of. I cannot imagine what you two are going through right now...please accept my sincerest prayers.'

'Thanks, Jaehee. I'm sorry about everything. I should have tried to understand you more...'

'I didn't take it personally. I can see how my insistence could have been bringing up past hurt. I realize you are serious about one another. Please just be careful, since Zen's career is already in jeopardy.'

'I understand. And Jaehee...thanks for always being his fan.'

'...Thank you.'

Mariko settled into the chair. Doctors and nurses came in periodically to check on her mother. She looked out onto the city, trying to just believe in Jumin and Seven. If anyone could find Kaguya, it would be them. For now, her mother needed her support to get better. Mariko sighed and leaned back in the chair. "Please find her..."

\--

Seven was pouring over two different projects. One screen had Echo Girl's social media and another had the footage from the night before of Eri Chung's home. He was looking at every little detail. "Come on...there has to be- Hah!" Seven paused the video. One of them was wearing the same ring that Mariko sent him before. So it was just as he suspected...same organization. Why were they targeting Mariko? What was their purpose? Mariko had mentioned that she hadn't seen the symbol since before she joined the RFA...but that could only mean...

"They're after the RFA!!" Seven exclaimed to himself. He immediately tried to call V. He would know what to do, he always did. There was no telling what these people would do to a little girl to bring down Mariko. They probably realized the poor thing was also Hyun's daughter. They had quite a bit of leverage. The phone call went to voicemail. Seven tried again. And again. It wasn't working. Seven slammed the phone down. What was he going to do? There was a life at stake here! Mariko was counting on him!

The phone rang. He picked it up in an instant.

"V."


	12. An Abused Man is a Blind Man

There was a stir in the air of the main room. The Believers were quietly discussing what the "Saviour" had brought the night before. "They say she's our guide." One woman excitedly chattered to him. The man, hooded and trying to blend in, stayed silent. She did not seem to notice. "She's going to bring Paradise as long as the Saviour is by her side." He had no notion of who this "guide" was supposed to be. His instincts told him he probably wouldn't have to wait long to find out. The familiar chimes started to ring in the distance. He could not see well, but his hearing never failed him. The Believers shuffled about into their positions. He was up front, towards the throne. The music became louder and louder, but even it could not hide the sniffles and sobs. He listened closely. The noises were higher pitched and young, much like a toddler. His heart sank. He dared not raise his head, but he did see the feet of the Saviour and a tiny girl as they passed. The group shifted again, this time to face the throne. From what he could see, the Saviour was forcefully holding the wrist of a pale child. Her features were striking, even to him. He made the connection immediately. There was just too much of a coincidence for him to ignore. He had to hold back his cry of pain. The girl looked terrified as she looked out onto the Believers. Her shirt looked stained and wet and her whole, tiny body was shaking. The Saviour just smiled at her followers. She had that look in her eye that he knew well.

"Guests, I present to you the one who will make all of our dreams come true!" She shoved the girl forward, still holding on to her. "Paradise is possible thanks to her gracious contribution! I want to hear you thank her!" The Believers' voices all came as one, chanting, 'Thank you, Saviour. Thank you, Guide.' The Saviour looked satisfied. She turned to the girl and said, "Are you going to be cruel to them and shatter their dreams? You are their only hope." The girl continued to struggle to break free. This only angered the Saviour and she began to shake the child violently. "Why are you so selfish?! Didn't your mother teach you any manners?" The Saviour screeched. It took all of his strength to sit still. The Believers still chanted as the Saviour abused the child verbally and physically. Eventually, the girl was dropped in front of the throne. Bruises formed around her wrists and the girl whimpered pitifully on the floor. She looked too weak to try and run. Surely the amount of people in the room also deterred her. She looked at him particularly with a desperate plea in her eyes. He knew that look well. Something resonated with him in this moment. His resolve was solidified. Enough was enough. He gave the girl the very slightest of nods which seemed to calm her down enough so she stopped shaking. The Saviour commanded her Angel in grey to take the young one away to her room. She also commanded for him to accompany them. "To make sure the Guide eats, of course."

He did as he was told. The girl walked slowly with the two men back to her captivity. The Angel pushed her in rather roughly and glared at the young one. He then took his leave as his work was completed. The hooded man, on the other hand, approached her gently and tried to console her with his soft and kind voice. The child calmed down and the tears finally stopped coming. In an almost inaudible voice, as she knew they were being watched, she asked him, "Are...are you going to help me go back to Mama?" When he nodded, the girl relaxed. He did not know how he was going to help her escape, but he would do it even if it costed his life. Rika had gone too far this time. It was evident that he was not enough to keep her tendencies in check any longer. He lead the girl to the nearby table and picked up an apple from the night before. It was still untouched. He held it out to her, trying to assure her that it would not harm her. She gingerly picked it up and took a small bite. The atmosphere was much lighter suddenly. She looked at him with her red eyes. "What is your name, mister?" He smiled and chuckled. It was such an innocent question. He hadn't expected it, especially in this place.

"They call me V."  
"V...like the letter?"  
"Yes. What do they call you?"  
"Kaguya."

"It's nice to meet you, Kaguya." V studied her for a few minutes. He could not see her well, but he could pick out Hyun in her movements and habits. They had the same smile, as proven by her giving him a small one while she ate. Another innocent life wrapped up in Rika's insanity. It was clear to him that she planned to use this young girl as leverage against Hyun and then follow suit with the rest of the RFA. He had to warn Luciel and get the girl out of this. But how would he do this without blowing his cover? He was lost in thought before a booming voice came over the speaker.

"Unworthy Believer, please leave the Guide to her own devices." The door opened automatically and V looked at Kaguya once more. He patted her head and quietly left the room. The door shut and locked behind him, leaving the toddler locked in a white prison. V went down the hallway to a blind spot in the cameras. It was here he could slip out undetected and head for a place that had service. He discreetly took his phone out and made a call. It rang once before a voice spoke. 

"V."  
"Luciel."  
"The RFA really needs their leader right now..."  
"What happened?"  
"MC's daughter turned up missing. Everyone is trying their hardest to find her, but I'm really afraid Zen and MC are gonna go off the deep end..."  
"...She's safe."  
"Who are you talking about?"  
"The girl. She's safe."  
"How-?!"  
"Just trust me, Luciel. She's not happy, but she's not hurt and is being taken care of."  
"..."  
"Luciel...keep it a secret."  
"MC deserves to know her daughter isn't dead."  
"While I understand MC is distraught...I need time to think of a plan to get Kaguya out safely. Do you trust me, Luciel?"  
"...I trust you."  
"Thank you. I have to go now. They're going to get suspicious. Just...give some support to Hyun and MC for me. I promise I'll get her home."

'I will even if it costs my life...'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ;)
> 
> I'm sorry for the month hiatus! I've been working and am currently in the process of moving!


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